Fate Interrupted
by drotuno
Summary: What if Edward never returned to Carlisle after his "rebellious" phase? What if he and Bella were always meant to be? How do you pledge yourself to your mate if your life isn't yours to begin with? AU ExB Vampires...Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**A/N...This is just something I couldn't get out of my head. For those that are a fan of my Angel Series...this is _not_ Angelward. :) I know you guys love him, and believe me, I ADORE him, but this is a little different. And this is AU...and this is a twist on the original Twilight story. Just a little "what if"... What if Edward was unable to return after his "rebellious" period not long after his change? **

**I don't own Twilight...SM still does. But I do love to play with her characters. **

**This is rated M for lemony stuff and for a little bit of language...AND for vampy stuff... I hope you like this...see me at the bottom for a little more.**

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><p><strong>~Fate Interrupted~<strong>

**EDWARD**

I heard the door slam to the apartment across the street, and I looked up from my perch on the roof. I thickly swallowed back the venom that just this girl's mere presence could evoke from me – never mind her scent. She was all things delicious and intoxicating. She was freesia and orange blossoms, sex and golden-eyed innocence.

She was also my target. My _last_ target.

I'd been watching her for three days, and despite her beauty and who she was, she opted to live alone, away from everyone, away from the others that she knew.

I was supposed to take her – the sweet little immortal that Aro wanted so badly. I was supposed to bring her to him, because it was rumored that she possessed the most amazing of talents, but I'd stopped that nonsense the second my eyes fell on her, because she was too good for him. Hell, _I_ was too good for him, but...not anymore. I wouldn't be his puppet any longer. I was done. I was in America, not Italy. I was out of his grasp, and what he was asking of me was too much.

I knew of the family that Isabella belonged to, and I envied them. Carlisle Cullen was an ancient, living a life that was totally different than that of normal immortals. He didn't dine on humans, and he taught that a human's life was good, that we should live among them, not treat them as cattle. He was an honorable man, a good man, and I hated that he had a _family_, and not a coven. It bothered me that he'd just...moved on from me.

I snorted, shaking my head as jealousy wracked my frame. It was Carlisle Cullen that had changed me well over ninety years ago. He'd wanted companionship, and he'd found it in me, but I'd thought I was smarter than he was. I thought with my gift, my talent for reading minds, that we could still be vampires, only feasting on the evil of the world.

I'd been so fucking wrong.

I'd left him, dropping the diet he'd worked so hard to teach me. I'd left him with his newly found mate, Esme, and a just recently turned newborn, Rosalie. And I'd left him, thinking I'd come back one day, proving my theory was right, that I knew better.

I'd eventually been caught feeding on the criminals of London by the Volturi, the law of our kind. Even though I was ridding the world of rapists, murderers, and child molesters, I was causing what Aro called "a scene." The most wanted men in criminal history were turning up dead, and no one knew why – but I did. I'd take the police's lists of the most heinous criminal minds and hunt them, stalk them, even toy with them, before finally dining on them.

The humans had called me a vigilante. Aro had called me a nuisance and had ordered my death, until he'd read my mind and seen my gift. I'd traded my life – whatever life it could be considered – for servitude to the Volturi. I was to bring him talented immortals, immortals that were causing problems, and report back if covens were becoming too large. I was to read the minds of people that the council didn't trust, because I, unlike Aro, I didn't need to touch someone to hear their thoughts.

It had taken decades for me to earn Aro's trust enough to go out on my own, to travel to other countries without a babysitter. Felix had watched my every move for years, until I'd proved my loyalty, and I'd brought them amazing talents. Jane, who was as tiny as a child, but could wreck an immortal with pain more intense than the change we went through. Heidi, a beautiful immortal that could draw humans to her like the pied piper could mice. And James, a tracking talent like we'd never seen before, with a deadly mind that liked to play with his victims, but who'd proven most useful, because for every immortal that tried to run from the Volturi, James could find them.

When I'd brought him the last vampire, Renata, it had been over fifty years since I'd been caught in London, so I'd asked for my release. I'd approached the council – Aro, Marcus, and Caius – and pleaded my case. I'd pointed out everything that I'd done for them, explained that I was ready to permanently return to the States. I'd told them that I'd been a young, foolish immortal, that I'd proven my loyalty to them, but I was ready to face my own fate.

"Fine, then. One last mission, Edward," Aro had stated with an imperious nod. "Your old sire has among him...true talents now. The newest one, Isabella Swan. I want her, Edward. Bring her to me, and freedom is yours."

Unthinkingly, I'd agreed and left straight away, but I hadn't given my plan any thought. As much as I wanted my freedom, something about betraying my sire didn't sit well with me. Carlisle had shown nothing but compassion and patience towards me from the moment I'd opened my newborn eyes, and as I studied his newest addition, I realized that he was fastidious when it came to changing a human, and just what kind of ungrateful creature did that make me?

My eyes fell to the girl I was supposed to take, and I hopped down from my perch, landing silently in the alleyway behind her as she made her way down the street, my long, black leather overcoat flying out behind me as my boots made contact with the asphalt.

She was chatting on a cell phone, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm leaving now, Alice," she laughed, though her speech was quiet. "What's the freakin' hurry?"

I tried in vain to read Isabella's mind, but no matter how close I got, all I heard was silence. Deafening silence. It was the first mind I'd ever come across that I couldn't read, and I wondered for just a moment what exactly the talent was that this vampire possessed.

"Just...trust me, Bella," a laugh like tinkling bells said on the other end of the phone. "I think you'll enjoy this...club."

"I hate the club, pixie," she growled, "and you know it. I'm only doing this for you...because you said I had to be there. What the hell have you seen now?"

I smiled at her threatening tone, because despite the fact that she was probably damned powerful, she still came across as a hissing kitten. She was petite and beautiful, wearing a wry smile that told me she wasn't exactly stupid, either.

"I promise, Bella, you'll thank me," the girl on the phone replied. "Maybe you'll stop bitchin' about being the fifth wheel all the time."

"You are so..._frustrating_, Alice," Isabella sighed. "I don't care what visions you've had, there's nothing at a human club for me. And even if there was, exactly _what_ kind of creature would he be?"

"Not human. Trust me!" Alice sang over the phone, and the call was ended.

I could have taken her then..._right then. _Isabella and I could have been well on our way to the airport, and she would have come, because they all came to me without question, but my curiosity – most likely due to her silent mind – got the better of me.

The music was thumping outside of the club as we approached, and I recognized the place instantly. _Pulse_ was a Goth bar, a place where the humans pretended to be vampires, and the vampires really _were_ vampires, but everyone just...blended. Ignorance was bliss on the humans' part, and for the immortals, well, it was feeding time – though I highly doubted Isabella strayed from Carlisle's diet. It was amazing no one caught on, or that the Volturi wasn't involved yet.

I stayed along the side of the bar, just watching my target. She made her way through the crowd, completely oblivious to the gape-mouthed stares the human men gave her. She wove around the dance floor, finally meeting up with four other immortals. Their golden eyes glimmered with happiness at the sight of her in the flickering lights that swiveled overhead, and I suddenly regretted losing mine. A quick glance at the mirror behind the bar confirmed my garnet eyes... a monster's eyes – a killer's eyes, according to my old sire.

I recognized Rosalie as one of the four, and she was still just as stunning as ever, though the smile she gave to the big guy beside her made her once angry features ever so much softer. I sighed, taking the drink that was set down in front of me and stirring it slowly as I watched them all. I felt like an intruder, which I was, but I felt like I was missing out on some cosmic joke, because I was looking at what could have been my family, had I stayed.

But it was the brunette that I was supposed to take to Aro that my eyes kept falling to. The more I watched her, studied her, the more I wanted – no _needed_ – to know her mind. I could hear every sexual thought in the place, every drink consideration, and every dance step counted in every mind, and it was a cacophony of noise and chaos, but the one interesting person in the room was fucking silent.

The more the hours ticked by as I sat there, the more I debated. I watched the group dance, but when a tall human boy set his hands on Isabella, my whole body tensed inexplicably. The confusion with what I _should_ do, which was walk away, telling Aro that I was unsuccessful, battled with what I _wanted_ to do, which was walk to the girl and snatch her out of the grips of a measly weak, insignificant human boy.

My mind warred within, venom flooded my mouth the more someone touched my..._target_, and I fought the desire to drain the human behind the bar, because she kept thinking about the most obscene things each time she passed me by. I needed my freedom, but I wanted to run away. I respected what Carlisle had built, I was drawn to the girl that I was supposed to just treat as an acquisition, and I was ashamed of what I'd become as I listened to the immortals that were laughing with Isabella. It was that last thought that made me stand up from the bar and make my way towards the door.

"Don't change your mind," I heard beside me, and I looked down at a tiny immortal. "I'm Alice...Alice _Cullen_," she stated, holding out her hand. "Don't change your mind, Edward. You were going to do the right thing. Running isn't the right thing."

"How do you..." I started, but stopped when she opened her mind to me, showing me her talent and her family.

Carlisle still spoke of me, still hung pictures of me in his home. She showed me countless conversations of how he'd wished that I'd just..._come home_. And then her mind's theatre changed. I watched as I stole Isabella away to Italy, as I handed her over to Aro, and then as he used her to destroy my old sire, my old _friend_. And my still heart cracked wide open as I watched as Isabella was shattered into a thousand pieces when it was all over, only to be set on fire, ending her existence in a flash.

"If you take her, that's what happens," Alice stated sadly, looking up at me with wise golden eyes, but fearful, because she loved Isabella like a sister. "If you stay, if you accept what you are..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to show me other things.

"I'm a pawn, nothing more," I growled, turning from the little seer, but froze when her mind assaulted mine. I was about to accept my life with the Volturi, because I wouldn't allow her visions to come true, even if it meant staying in Italy. Isabella was too beautiful a creature to be destroyed, and no matter where I stood with Carlisle, he didn't deserve that fate, either. "My freedom is forfeit."

"It's not, Edward," Alice urged, grabbing my arm with both hands. "I've seen you coming. I've been watching Italy for you, and Aro wants to destroy us. I haven't told all of them, but your return to Carlisle will change..._everything_." She tugged my arm, keeping me from leaving as she looked up at me. "Bella is your mate, Edward...and Carlisle wants you _home_."

"I have no home," I grunted, jerking out of her grasp and stepping back out into the night air.

Her thoughts rushed through my mind when I heard the door close behind me. _Don't bet against me, Edward. I'm very rarely wrong._

~oOo~

"Edward, my dear boy, how's your progress?" Aro asked on the phone.

"Slow going, Aro," I lied smoothly, again perched on the roof across from Isabella's apartment. "Carlisle is smart. He's not always so easily found, despite his unusual attraction to humans."

I found that the next three nights after following Isabella to the club, I was completely unable to _not_ see her again. I couldn't take her, but I couldn't stay away from her, either. The very second the tiny little seer stated that Bella was my mate, I'd been stunned.

I'd always been alone, first with Carlisle, and no woman – mortal or immortal – was worth my time. Most female immortals were feral, shallow creatures, and human women could hardly see past our looks to have any real sort of relationship, not to mention I could break them with one touch. We are by nature frozen at the ages and in the times in which we were turned, so I didn't find the sexual freedom that most of my associates did. I'd seen mated vampires, but never thought it would be me, because I couldn't imagine hearing the same innocuous mind, the same inane thoughts, from one person for eternity, so I considered my non-pairing to be my damnation and a blessing in this life.

I monitored closely as Bella moved around in her apartment, but I didn't tell Aro that.

"As soon as I know something, you will," I told him.

"You aren't trying to back out of our deal, are you, son?" he asked, but I could hear a menacing accusation to his voice.

"Now, why would I do that, when you've treated me so well all these years, Aro?" I asked, trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice and standing up straight when I saw Isabella tug on a jacket to leave.

"Try to keep that in mind while you're over there," he uttered, before ending the call.

I smiled wryly, looking down at the street level. I wanted to follow Isabella undetected, but she never came out. I sat on the edge of the building, my eyes glancing back and forth from the front door to the window that gave a view of her apartment, but I saw no movement, until a soft thump landed behind me.

I spun to look, catching a mere glimpse of the small brunette, before finding the top half of my body hanging over the edge of the building.

"Oh shit," I hissed, trying to struggle against...what? I felt no hands on me, no actual grip that was pushing at me.

"What do you want?" she growled, not coming any closer. "Answer me, or I will make sure you land in Mr. Harvey's furnace down below. He's been roasting a pig all day for his customers tomorrow at the deli downstairs."

"No wait, please," I grunted, realizing that she wasn't holding me, but then again...she was. "I'm not going to hurt you..."

"You've been following me for days, so you're either a coward, or you're up to no good. Which is it?"

"Please, just let me up, and I'll explain...or try to, anyway," I grunted, and I suddenly found myself righted and almost face to face with her. It was when I reached out to her, but couldn't touch, that I realized what she was: a shield, and a damned powerful one, at that.

"Yeah, a shield," she sighed, folding her arms across her chest when I'd said the word out loud. "Talk, _Edward_, or I'm about to stoke that fire down there. I don't care what you are to Carlisle."

My mouth fell open at the fact that she knew my name, but I felt her shield shift around me, and not only did it knock me back a little, it also opened her mind up to me.

_I don't know what Alice was thinking...this guy's out for Carlisle...for all of us._

"No, I'm not, I swear," I answered her thoughts unthinkingly. "I was, but now I'm not...it's really difficult to explain..."

"Try," she growled, suddenly in my face and her hands at my throat.

I was truly at her mercy, because her shield was still holding my body, and without my strength, I didn't stand a chance against her. She could literally snap me apart, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

Quickly, I explained my predicament to her, wincing as she pushed me closer and closer to the edge of the building, her eyes on fire when I told her her about Aro's plans. The only thing I didn't mention was my conversation with Alice a few nights ago.

"I'm not a bargaining chip," she growled. "I don't care what kind of trouble you're in. Why don't you just go to Carlisle?"

I shook my head slowly, my shame making my gaze break away from her fierce tawny eyes and across the skyline of the city.

"I know who you are, you know," she stated, her eyebrow raising up sexily. "And you're wrong about him...he would welcome you back, no matter what you've done. That's just...Carlisle. I've heard him and Esme talk about you. They want to see you..."

I shook my head again, nervously swallowing back the venom that flooded my mouth, because her scent was surrounding me, infusing itself in my very pores...and she was still holding me over the edge of the building.

She sighed, clearly out of frustration, and I felt the second her shield lifted from around me, but it was when her hand touched mine to pull me away from the ledge that we both gasped. The warmth, the electricity, the vibrating jolt that shook me felt like our hands had suddenly fused together.

"Isabella..." I started, when she jerked her hand from mine, but two things interrupted me.

Big, fat drops of rain began to fall heavily down on and around us, and the rooftop doors burst open, as a laughing couple stumbled their way outside. They were wrapped lovingly around each other, their lips hardly breaking away. A low, deep growl escaped me, because they both smelled...delicious.

"Not in my neighborhood, Edward," Isabella warned, grabbing my jacket. "I live around these people. They aren't for consumption, jackass. And you can't hunt in Carlisle's territory."

I grunted, but allowed her to pull me to the rooftop door, down the stairs, and across the street to her apartment building. We shook the rain off of us, and she let me into her home. She closed the door and leaned up against it, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going to Italy with you," she stated, her eyes darkening.

I shook my head. "I know," I sighed, glancing at my damp coat that was dripping onto her carpet.

"Then why are you still here? Why didn't you talk to me the first night you followed me to the club?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "I'm not stupid, and despite how Alice hides shit from me, I damn well know when she's up to something. I saw her talking to you at _Pulse_. For over the last ten years, the mere mention of your name has sent her into a vision," she huffed rolling her eyes. "I get the feeling she knows more about you than she's told me."

"Isabella, I should go..."

"Bella...just Bella, and do you really think I can let you leave, knowing you're a threat to my family?" she growled, the tawny color in her eyes completely disappearing into blackness as I moved closer to her, closer to the door.

That same warm, vibrating electricity zinged between us again as I loomed over her. Despite the fact that neither of us really needed air, our panting did not go unnoticed. I tried to ignore that her scent was just about to push me over the edge and the fact that I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted blood, but even more that her mind had briefly opened up to me. She was comparing pictures that Carlisle had to what I looked like in person. The vision shut down in an instant. She knew of my talent, and was well prepared for it.

"I'm not a threat...I'm a walking dead man, because I can't..." I growled low, not understanding the feelings that were coursing through me. It was as if she was pulling me to her, and it was unnerving. "Are you doing that?" I whispered to her, trying to step back, but found that I couldn't.

"No." She shook her head slowly. "Are you?"

I shook my head no, as well. "Bella, let me go. It's for the best. I'm not like you..."

"You _were_ once," she countered bravely, her chin jutting out in defiance, which only brought her face closer to mine, making my instinctual response of grabbing her almost impossible to harness. "Carlisle told me..."

Her shield slipped again, and I saw her memories of discussions with my – _our_ – sire. In her mind, he couldn't answer enough questions about me for her, and she didn't understand how I could just leave them all behind, never to look back.

"It wasn't like that, Bella," I sighed, shaking my head. "By the time I wanted to come back, I'd been caught by the Volturi. I'd made too many mistakes to be forgiven, and in order to live, I traded my freedom."

"Tell him that," she urged in a whisper, reaching up and brushing my damp hair from my forehead. "He still loves you. Esme, too. Let me call him, Edward."

"I'm not worth it," I growled, frowning down at her, but she shoved me back in anger.

"Then he was _wrong_ about you!" she snapped, her eyes blazing, but she blocked my path to the door, with not only her small frame, but her shield, too. "He said you were honorable and brave, that you were just misguided. He spoke of your brilliant mind and talent. He told me that without you, he would have never found Esme! He feared every day that you'd gotten killed, and he said you were the closest thing to a real son he'd ever had!" These things flew at me from her mouth, wounding me with their truthfulness, as her fists clenched at her side. "He believes he doesn't have a soul, yet he prayed to God every day that you'd come home, that if you'd gotten into trouble, no matter the length of time, he hoped you'd come to him. You were the reason..."

Her voice broke off, and she suddenly looked away from me, her arms folding across her chest again. I'd been immortal long enough to know when tears were implied, but she didn't make a sound. However, her mind filled with a blurry human memory. Through Bella's eyes, I saw my sire – my _father_ – kneeling before her as she studied a picture of me.

_~oOo~_

"_He's lost his way, Bella," he said softly, eying the picture, and then meeting her gaze. "You two have so much in common. It's my hope that you meet some day."_

"_You haven't seen him in decades, Carlisle," she snorted, shaking her head. "How can you be so sure?"_

"_Alice sees him coming back, but not when," he answered her. "When it comes to Edward, patience has always been the key..."_

_~oOo~_

Her memory shifted again, but this time, it was disturbing flashes of a van skidding towards her. Alice didn't make it to her in time, and blood poured down Bella's leg as chaos ensued around her, in what looked to be a high school parking lot.

Then I heard muffled voices in her mind when the scene changed quickly as she laid in a bright white room, a discussion about Dr. Cullen arriving, and suddenly, he appeared in Bella's fuzzy memory. His face was intense with worry, and the fact that Alice was there in the room pacing back and forth – hissing just loud enough for Bella's human ears to catch words like "change," and "mate," and "no choice" – was not helping the situation. And I could have sworn that I heard my name, or rather, Bella could've sworn she heard my name, just before Carlisle bent to her neck.

The memories disappeared, and Bella stared up at me, wide-eyed.

"What was that?" I barked, stepping towards her, and surprisingly enough, she let me. Bella didn't say anything, just pulled her phone out of her pocket, and I caught her wrist. "Tell me!" I growled, taking the phone from her and tossing it to her couch. "Is Alice right? Did she see me coming? Are we..."

"Mates," Bella breathed, and to the average human ears, it would have been silent, but I heard her loud and clear. She looked away from me. "She saw it the minute she met me..."

"When you were human," I concluded for her incredulously. "And Carlisle changed you..._for me_?"

"Ultimately, yes, but I did get hurt."

My mind reeled with this news, and I ran a hand through my damp hair, before turning back to her. She looked embarrassed and frightened, but she still stood firm in front of her door.

"How does she see this ending?" I asked, despite what Alice had shown me the night she approached me at the club. I wanted to know what Bella knew.

"It's up to you," she stated, looking down at her feet. "If you turn me over to the Volturi, then you kill me and my entire family, including Carlisle."

"And if I don't?"

"That part is..._fragmented_," she said cryptically. "Alice says she can't say for sure, because it requires decisions from both of us. She says the possibilities are infinite..." Bella frowned, looking away from me.

"Why aren't you with them?" I blurted out, and before I could help myself, I was touching her face with the backs of my fingers that were tingling with every caress. "Carlisle used to like everyone under one roof."

"I got tired of waiting," she grumped, scowling up at me and brushing my hand away. "I lived for my first few years with them, but it's hard being around three couples that are perfectly mated, perfectly happy, perfectly..._freakin' perfect_!"

She snorted, rolling her eyes, and I couldn't help but smirk at her. She truly was beautiful.

"They don't live far, but I just couldn't..." She looked away again, taking a deep breath.

"And you waited...for me?"

Her little nose wrinkled adorably as she nodded slowly, but she fidgeted, almost like a human, under my gaze. "I can't explain it, Edward," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "It didn't make sense then, and hell, I still don't understand it. But I love and trust my sister, Alice. She's my best friend."

"Try," I ordered softly, using the same command she'd used on me when we were on the roof.

"Just...watch," she huffed, and her mind completely opened to me.

Not only did she show me meeting immortals for the first time as a human in some sort of school setting, but she showed me the first time they'd brought her home to Carlisle and Esme, both of whom welcomed her with open arms. The more important of her memories was the very first time she saw a picture of me in Carlisle's study and Alice freezing into some sort of trance.

Bella didn't understand why just my picture made her obsessed, why Alice suddenly became so secretive with Carlisle, and why she felt she fit in with a group of people that were clearly not..._normal_.

But all those things aside, she loved and trusted Alice, and when the best friends finally sat down to talk about it and Alice explained what they truly were, the visions were revealed, as well. Alice told her that I was coming back to Carlisle, but that the time was undetermined. She told Bella that she saw the two of us together, mated, and that Bella would eventually be changed.

"So I waited," she whispered, finally stepping away from the door and away from me. Pacing in her living room, she said, "I loved them all instantly, and they accepted me, despite my...fragile state."

I snorted, shaking my head at her phrasing.

"We like to stay long periods in the same place, so they were posing as high school students when we met. About a year after we'd become friends, a van lost control on the icy parking lot at school. Alice saw it, but not quickly enough. The bumper clipped my leg, knocking me back into my truck and giving me a serious concussion. It sliced open my femoral artery, and I was dying by the time they got me to Carlisle's office. The big argument was to let me die or change me. Alice finally won Carlisle over when she said that if I was immortal, you would finally come home. If I didn't exist, you'd just disappear forever. Alice swears our lives are intertwined like that."

I didn't move as I absorbed this information. My mind reeled as I realized that not only had my fate never been mine to control, but the girl currently pacing in front of me was stronger than I'd ever been, or ever would be.

She picked her phone up from where I'd tossed it to the couch, touching the screen with swift movements. She snorted, rolling her eyes, before looking back up at me.

"Alice already called Carlisle. He'll be here after his overnight shift ends," she stated, holding it up so that I could read the screen. "That's about four hours..."

"He won't understand," I sighed, watching as she shirked out of her jacket and draped it across the arm of the chair next to her.

"That's where you're wrong, Edward," she sighed, sounding weary, even though we never needed sleep. "He's forgiven all of us for many, many terrible mistakes."

"I've lived a lifetime of mistakes," I mumbled, taking my own coat off and hanging it on the back of her door.

She chuckled softly. "I can't wait for you to meet Jasper," she snickered, shaking her head. "You two can compare lifetimes...and mistakes. Emmett, too; he's no saint."

"How old are you?" I asked suddenly, sitting on the edge of the sofa next to her.

"Seventeen," she said wryly, a gorgeous smirk playing on her face. "Same as you."

I smiled – a real, true smile – for what seemed like the first time in decades. "Of course you are," I chuckled, shaking my head and finally holding my hand out to her. "Edward Anthony Masen..."

She giggled, rolling her eyes. "Isabella Marie Swan..._Cullen_." She took my hand, and that zap of tingly electricity shot up my arm, causing both of us to inhale sharply. "Guess that means something," she mumbled, pulling her hand back. "Rose said she felt that sensation when she saved Emmett..."

Her voice trailed off, but I found that her silence wasn't all that uncomfortable. I also noticed that when I was near her, the other minds – the humans in the surrounding apartments – were silent, as well, and that was utterly amazing and so very comforting. I almost felt..._normal, _like the buzzing in my head had stopped completely.

"What do I do?" I finally asked in a groan, burying my fingers in my hair, because I suddenly wanted this comforting silence all the time, and if Bella was my mate, then my whole life needed to change.

The harsh reality was that I was embarrassed to see my old sire, and my new feelings towards the girl at my side were just about to drive me insane. I couldn't turn her over to Aro, because to do so would ruin me. In just the short time that I'd been watching her, and with the new knowledge that she was my mate, not to mention this amazing conversation with her, to end Bella would end me. But if I didn't give Aro what he wanted, I wasn't free; I still belonged to the Volturi.

She sniffed, tugging on my arm so that she could see my face. "It's up to you," she said softly, "but my suggestion is to wait for Carlisle. He may know what to do."

I nodded slowly, but that wasn't my problem. I'd concede any decision to Carlisle at this point, but my concern was with the girl sitting next to me. I looked up at her, our eyes locking.

"You really are beautiful," I sighed, shocked that I'd said that aloud, but she smiled.

"Thank you," she muttered, tilting her head at me. "I'm not used to seeing your face with red eyes. In all your pictures, even though they're black and white, I can tell your eyes are amber."

I grimaced, but said nothing, because for the first time in decades, I was ashamed that I was no longer on the right diet.

"And I'm not sure this is how I thought we'd meet," she snickered, shaking her head, and I couldn't help but smile with her. "I just thought you'd just..."

"Come home," I finished for her, and she nodded. "I probably would have, but... How do I do that when my freedom comes with such a...high price? I can't destroy the vampire that made me, and I can't...hurt you. Alice showed me what they do to you... Bella, I won't...I _can't_ let that happen."

"Then you'll have to leave again," she whispered, her brow furrowing.

"I honestly don't know," I admitted softly, shrugging one shoulder.

"Please, _please_ talk to Carlisle," she suddenly gushed, picking up my hand. "He knows more about Alice's visions than I do. I asked them ages ago to stop telling me, because you just...never showed up. Maybe he can help. Maybe he knows more. Okay?"

I studied her worried face, but her tension was rubbing off on me, and so was her panic. We'd just found each other, and there was a possibility that my life still wasn't my own to guide. And not knowing where that left things between us was making us nervous.

"Okay," I finally agreed, grasping her by the shoulders and making her look at me. "Okay," I said again with a nod. "I'll wait."

The power surged between us even stronger than before, and my hands shook as they rested on her shoulders. I'd read the minds of mated couples and knew for a fact that the attraction, the draw to each other, was so very strong that most of the time, the animalistic instincts took over, but the boy born in 1901 was unsure as to what to do about that, because Bella and I had only just met. It seemed wrong to want to maul her, though it was all I could do to not touch her...everywhere.

"Well, then, can I just ask one thing?" she whispered, her breathing a little ragged as she looked up at me, her eyes turning a deep amber, and then almost black. "If you leave...I just..."

"What, Bella?"

"Kiss me?"

I knew what would happen if I did, but it didn't stop me. Cupping her face, I caressed her cheeks with my thumbs. I wasn't sure I could stop if I wanted to, but the very second that my lips touched hers, it was all over. There was no more fighting the draw that I had towards her, there was no more holding back, and I knew there was no way in hell I'd ever be able to stop or leave her behind. I'd sealed my fate with just one kiss.

~oOo~

**BELLA**

"Kiss me?" I asked, because I couldn't let him just leave again. I'd waited so long for him, but even more than that, he was just beautiful – more beautiful than any picture Carlisle had, that was for sure.

If he was pompous and snarky, or even callous and mean, I could maybe put some distance between us, but at the very mention of Carlisle, I saw the remorse Edward had written all over his angelic face. He hadn't meant to lose himself in the world; it just...happened. Edward had survived the only way he knew how, and that was to sacrifice himself to the Volturi in order to live.

Two days before I heard the soft thump of Edward's boots behind me in the alleyway as I made my way to the club, Alice had practically been flying around Carlisle and Esme's house. She was so very happy, and poor Jasper's empathic personality could barely contain his mate. I knew _then_ that something was up, but when I felt something shift inside of my chest in that dark alley, I realized that Edward had returned and that he was _right behind me_. My still heart could've exploded out of me the first time I saw him in person at _Pulse, _and when I saw Alice try to stop him. I felt his closeness the next few days, but I was so afraid that he'd really do what he came there to do, or that he'd run, and we'd never have the conversation we'd just had – a conversation that changed everything. He wasn't as bad of a person that he thought he was; he was just a man, just trying to survive, just trying to figure out how to fix a mistake he'd made so very long ago.

And now that he was in front of me, making me feel so much more than I'd ever thought he would, my mind snapped. I didn't want to see the heartbreak on Carlisle's face if his son took off again. I wanted to figure out how to keep Edward, how to help him, because I'd been biding my time for ten long years – from the very second my eyes had first landed on his picture.

Our eyes locked as he cupped my face, amber to crimson, both darkening to black. Edward leaned in, both of us practically holding our breath, and his lips finally touched mine. It was the softest of kisses, only to pull back just a bit, and we took shaky breaths, before doing it again. His forehead pressed to mine and his eyes closed tightly, before he took my top lip between his, only to switch to my bottom.

I leaned in closer, my hands gliding up his arms to his face, and a sound rushed from the two of us as my fingers wove into his hair. I pulled back, sitting up on my knees to look at him, and his gaze was locked onto mine, his mouth slightly open, as if he were in shock. I felt his hands shift to my ribs as I kissed him again, only this time, allowing my tongue to glide across his bottom lip.

That's when things shifted from two people testing a first kiss, to two immortals with instincts kicking in. I whimpered when Edward let a low, rumbling growl loose, and I finally pressed my body to his, my elbows resting on his shoulders as the kiss...changed.

I felt strong fingers gripping my shirt between my shoulder blades as we finally opened our mouths to each other. I tugged on his hair and turned my head as my tongue swirled with his. Edward's other hand splayed open on my waist, pulling me to his lap, and I lightly dragged my teeth across his bottom lip. I pulled back for a brief moment as we panted heavily, locking eyes with him again, and suddenly, I found myself on my back along my sofa, with a looming Edward braced above me.

The kissing resumed, hands roamed, and then we were tangled together on my couch, with Edward settling between my legs. When his hips thrust forward, my breath caught in my throat, and Edward froze, his head falling to my shoulder, because I could feel his arousal pressing me just where I needed most, despite the denim that we were wearing.

My fingers found bare skin just below the bottom of his t-shirt and above the waistband of his jeans, and I couldn't help but roll my hips up to find some sort of friction.

"Bella," he growled sexily, but turned his head, opening his mouth to the flesh of my neck and swirling his tongue where my pulse point once throbbed. "If we do this..."

"I know," I whimpered, my head pressing into the cushions of my couch as he nipped, licked, and sucked up to my ear, "but don't you _feel_ it?"

I gasped when his tongue flicked my earlobe, only to be replaced with his teeth, and my hands flattened against his back underneath his shirt. I didn't want him to stop, and I damn well didn't know if I could let him go.

"Yes," he panted, ghosting his lips along my cheek and pressing his forehead to mine. "If we give in, I'm bound to you, Bella...by more than just...mating. I won't be able to let go..."

"Don't, then," I whispered, looking up at him, begging him with my eyes to give into _us_. I trusted Alice's visions, but even more, I trusted the feelings that were taking over me.

I knew from listening to my siblings and Carlisle and Esme that it was impossible to fight the mating process anyway, that to do so could cause damage to the couple, despite their immortality.

"We will help you, Edward," I vowed to him, because I knew my family; we would do anything for each other – especially when it came to our mates. In fact, Alice's theory was that Edward should've been there all along, that he was supposed to have saved me from the van, and not her. That our paths would have lead in a completely different direction.

Edward's head snapped up, and I realized that my thoughts were open to him, so I let him have them. All of them. Every dream of him I'd had as a human, every talk with Alice about him, every debate with Carlisle concerning souls and lost children, even some of Jasper's history about making up for terrible mistakes.

But it was Emmett's immature but spot-on theory about our lives that made Edward really just stop and listen...

_Just__ because we were made into something of nightmares, doesn't mean we have to act that way, and hell, because I've found true, perfect, forever kind of love along the way, then how can it be all that bad? There's not much we can't either live through, or sort out... At least I'm not dead..._

"Emmett has a tendency to simplify things," I muttered, shrugging one shoulder.

"Will you tell me about them?" he asked softly, nipping at my lips between each word and his body shifting over mine. He grabbed the arm of the sofa with one hand to brace himself over me. "Before Carlisle gets here..."

I nodded, reaching for his shirt, and with one swift tug, it was in a tattered heap on the floor. I was licking my lips at the one sight I'd never had a picture of – Edward's body. He was glorious. He was lean and strong, like the statue of David. He was smooth under my fingers, and he was...

"Mine," I growled low, glaring up at him and trying not to see his smirk, but it was nearly impossible.

"Indeed, beautiful," he purred, shaking his head as his free hand trailed down the front of my blouse lightly. "My turn..."

"No," I said, grabbing at his wrists before he could rip my shirt. "I don't want this...here. My bed..."

Edward nodded, standing up from the couch, but instead of letting me walk, he scooped me up into his arms. "We don't sleep, you know," he teased, and I snickered at him.

"I have human friends, you know," I countered, kissing his strong jaw as he carried me into my bedroom, "and a little old landlady. It's best to keep up the façade."

He set me on my feet at the foot of my bed, but his brow was wrinkled.

"What?"

"I don't know if I can do it again," he sighed, gliding his thumb across my bottom lip, and I didn't need him to elaborate on what he meant. I knew he meant going back to the vegetarian diet, living among humans, even interacting with them. I also knew he meant facing Carlisle, too, but I knew the man that I now called father, and he would forgive Edward anything.

"I think you can." I traced my finger under one of his red eyes. "I'm not saying it will be easy, but you won't be alone, Edward."

He nodded, but grasped my face, kissing me roughly, only to kiss down the side of my neck. "Is it still my turn?" he asked, gabbing the front of my shirt again.

I nodded, gasping when the sound of ripping fabric echoed through my room. I was only wearing a tank top underneath, and my nipples hardened to sensitive peaks. Edward fell to his knees in front of me, his hands pushing up my tank top. His thumbs brushed across my nipples as he tugged my tank off over my head, and I gasped at the sensation.

"Fuck, so beautiful," he breathed, leaning in just to trace his nose around my nipple. My fingers threaded back into his hair when he did it to the other one. "Bella, tell me now, because I don't think I can stop..." he begged, dropping warm, wet kisses across my chest and down to my stomach, but his black eyes never left mine.

"I c-can't," I sputtered, squeezing my eyes closed when his tongue dove into my bellybutton at the same time my jeans were torn from my body. I cupped his face, making him look up at me, and I could see him fighting desire and instinct, but the most prominent was the fear he was fighting. "Trust me...trust someone besides yourself, Edward. I'll be just as bound to you," I told him, "and I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it."

He launched himself at me, and we landed in the middle of my bed in a tangle of arms and legs, my own hands unable to resist shredding his jeans in the process. I felt my instinct take over once there was no material between us, and the first thing I did was submit to my mate. He gathered my hands into one of his, pinning them above my head. A low, rumbling purr escaped him as his nose inhaled my skin from my ear, down to my nipples, his tongue flickering out for the occasional taste.

Edward sat back on his knees, gazing down at me, and my hands gripped my headboard so hard, trying to refrain from touching him, that the metal bent under my grasp. His eyes were black as pitch as they took in every inch of my body. Writhing under his gaze, I felt my thighs press together as I did the same.

"Let me hear your mind," he requested, tapping his temple. "I need to know I'm not just...claiming you, Bella."

"'Kay," I agreed, removing my shield, but in all reality, I wanted to claim and be claimed.

I'd wanted to be his since the first time I saw his crooked smile in an old black and white photo on Carlisle's bookshelf. I'd wanted to know everything about him – his taste, his smell, even the sound of his voice. I'd wanted to know what books he liked, and music he listened to. I'd wanted to know what over a hundred years of living had taught him, but more than anything, I'd wanted Alice's prediction to be true. I'd wanted him to come home, complete the family – complete _me_ – and I hadn't understood it at all as a human – probably less as a vampire.

"I don't, either, beautiful," he answered my mind, leaning over me with every muscle he owned rippling with the motion. "But I want to try...and I want you..._badly_. I just don't..."

I pulled him to me, our bodies lining up with perfection, and I felt his arousal, hard and trapped between us. I pushed at him until he rolled over, and I linked our fingers together, bracing them on either side of his head as I kissed him like crazy, like it was an addiction and I needed it more than blood. Visions of his mouth on other places flooded my mind, and he saw it all, rolling us back over.

He sat back on his heels again, but this time, he picked up one of my legs, dragging his lips slowly up the inside of my thigh. "You want me to taste you, Bella?" he asked in a ghosting whisper against my skin, inhaling deeply as he got closer to where I wanted him. "I can...smell that you're wet for me. Is that what you want?"

"Yes," I breathed, moaning when both of his hands cupped my ass, lifting me up to his face, like I was on a serving tray.

"Then open up wider, beautiful," he purred, twirling his tongue over my clit and giving me just the mere hint of what he could do. "Show me how much you want this..."

When his tongue met my center, swirling and tasting every inch of me from one end to the other, I cried out, completely shredding the covers at my side as my shoulders were the only thing bracing me on the bed. And as he sucked my clit hard into his mouth, I came instantly.

~oOo~

**EDWARD**

I'd never wanted anything more than I wanted Bella, and that included blood – human or animal. I'd never wanted to melt into someone as much I did the girl calling my name as I lost myself in the flavor of her. She was flowers and salt, pure sex and comfort, all at the same time. She was more than I'd ever expected, and I knew that I'd never need anything else for the rest of my existence.

I needed to mark her, claim her, bury myself inside of her and never come out. I needed her in ways that I didn't even understand, and she was right there with me, mentally fighting the instinct to do those same things.

"I can't fight the pull to you anymore," I growled at her, pinning her down. "I want this. Do you?"

"Yes, Edward," she purred back, writhing under me and causing my cock to slip through her warm, wet folds. "So much."

With one swift move, I sheathed myself inside of her completely, crying out as her teeth sank into my shoulder, marking me as hers. I could feel the sting of her venom, but it was a good pain, and I knew that the only thing that left a scar on an immortal was another immortal's bite. She'd forever marked me. This was not gentle, or love making. This was mating. I'd seen it in the minds of others, but I had no sense of reality. It was beyond us, it was feral, and there was no stopping it.

I froze as we stared into each other's eyes, our fingers entwining above her head. A low, deep rumble echoed through the room from us as the electricity surged to an all time high, and despite how I knew differently, I felt like I couldn't breathe, as something shifted in my chest. I felt something I'd never, ever felt before. Love. It was consuming and made me feel vulnerable and possessive.

"Edward, please..." Bella whispered, trying to remove one of her hands from mine at the same time she bucked her hips underneath me.

I released her hand so that she could grip my back, my own fingers skimming down her side to lift her leg between us. I needed deeper, closer..._more_. My cock protested the loss of her when I pulled slowly back, only to thrust back in, starting a deep, but slow rhythm, because if I didn't take it slow, the room around us would not survive it.

Bella's hand grabbed my ass, pulling at me as a beautiful and sexy keening sound escaped her. I could hear her every thought, because she let me and because I'd asked her to. She also wanted more and deeper, and the strangest sensation wrapped around me as she used her shield to roll us.

"Shit, Bella," I gasped, squeezing my eyes closed, because her graceful, amazing body rolling over mine was almost too much to look at.

She looked wild and ethereal, confident and lost in the sensation of our connection, and my hands had to reach out and just...touch. Her mouth gaped slightly with every brush of my fingers across her nipples, every grip and grind of her hips, and finally, the pressure I applied to her most sensitive spot right where we were joined as one.

I sat up, pressing my thumb to her clit and smiling when her breath caught and her head fell back. Kissing up her neck and sliding my fingers into her hair at the base of her neck, I gripped hard.

"Come for me," I growled low, _needing _to feel her climax around me. I needed to know that it wasn't just me, that we were both lost to these feelings. I needed to know that I wasn't alone anymore.

As soon as I felt her squeeze around me and my name ghost across my ear, I couldn't hold back anymore. My hand was still gripping her hair, and I wrenched it to the side, burying my teeth in the spot where her neck melted into a graceful slope to her shoulder and marking her as mine.

Bella gasped, her fingers digging into my back as her whole body shuddered into another climax. A small dry sob escaped her as her forehead finally fell to my shoulder, and I licked the bite mark closed, my venom sealing the wound, but ensuring that it stayed forever there on her skin.

Her arms and legs wrapped around me completely as we sat, still connected, in the middle of her now very rumpled and ripped bed.

I softly kissed the spot below her ear. "You are my life now," I whispered, practically shaking with what that meant, because my life was still not my own to dedicate to her.

She pulled back, grasping my face and kissing me hard. "We'll fix this, I swear, Edward. I can't..." she huffed, kissing my lips again. "I can't wait without you anymore..."

I sighed, cupping her face and gazing up into her eyes that were back to a beautiful amber again. I was going to tell her that I needed clear my debt with Aro before anything, but her phone beeped from the living room. Bella glanced up at the clock, her nose wrinkling adorably.

"Carlisle," she sighed, looking back at me. "I don't even have to look. I know he's leaving the hospital now. He'll be here in like thirty minutes."

I nodded, swallowing thickly with nerves and shame. "Okay."

I knew that I needed to talk to him, if only for Bella's sake, but I wasn't sure what he could do against the Volturi. I'd basically signed my life away to them, and my own means to freedom was currently sitting in my lap, running her fingers gently through my hair.

My target, my release from Aro, was now my mate. I could no more turn her over to him than cut my own heart out. My heart didn't even belong to me; it was hers.

Bella glanced around the room, taking a deep breath. "Shower, and then we'll see if I can't find you something to wear," she snickered, her eyes dancing with mischief and happiness.

I chuckled and shrugged, ogling every inch of her as she removed herself from my lap and crawled off the bed. Instantly, I was hard for her again, and I wasn't sure I'd ever _not_ be hard for her. It just might be a condition I'd have to get used to.

"My coat is still in one piece," I told her.

She grinned and rolled her eyes. "At least there's that. You'll look like a flasher." She held her hand out to me, tugging me to the bathroom. "There's one thing you should know. When it comes to Alice..._no one_ worries about clothes, Edward."

~oOo~

**BELLA**

My forehead met the cool glass of the shower door with a dull thump as steel and warmth surrounded me from behind. We had mere minutes before I was sure Carlisle would be knocking on my door, but there wasn't a force on the planet that could stop us from touching.

I'd started telling him about my family, about Rose and Emmett, Alice and Jasper. I tried to keep the shower mainly about getting clean and giving him the information he'd asked for earlier, but it was impossible.

He was so beautiful, and so very unnecessarily nervous about Carlisle's visit that it was practically palpable in the steamy bathroom air.

"How long would you have waited for me, Bella?" he asked, his entire body lining up behind mine. Soap and water coated our bodies, which only added to the erotic feel of him pressed against me.

"Always," I sighed, closing my eyes as his lips grazed against my shoulder and glided up to my ear, opening warm and wet against my flesh. I gasped as his arousal slipped between my legs, and I knew we weren't going to fight this much longer. "I would've just...waited..."

He grunted softly, his hands skimming down my body with palms flat as he pulled my hips back towards him. "Would you have come for me?" he purred in my ear as his hips began a rhythm between my legs that had the tip of his cock pressing just right against my clit. Wetness flooded down my thighs, coating him in the process.

"We...We didn't know where you were, Edward," I said, and unfortunately, a small sob escaped me with that truth, because I'd begged and begged Alice to try and see where he was about two years after my change, so that we could go to him, but she said he had to come to us. He had to _want_ to come home, or the vision faded away. It was one of my lowest points during my long wait for him.

I'd rebelled against the family, stopped talking to Alice for months, and went off into the woods alone. I hunted in anger, and eventually ended up killing a young mountain climber that was hiking alone in the forest in my frenzy. I'd made no decision to actually kill the young man, so Alice didn't see it happening until it was way too late. Emmett showed up within hours, helping me hide my mistake and guiding me back to Carlisle, needlessly guilt-ridden. He, of course, welcomed me back with open arms.

I knew Edward could still hear my thoughts, because his touches became more comforting, less aggressive as he still continued to grind against me. With a firm grip, he lifted my leg to the edge of the tub and slowly entered me.

"I'm here now," he soothed, holding me closer by wrapping an arm around my waist, but his breathing was ragged in my ear. "I'm not leaving you," he whispered. "I can't..."

For a moment, for just a split second, I wondered what was worse...knowing he existed and what we were meant to be, or not knowing anything for so long and having it thrown at him. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking or feeling with all that he'd been through and was still facing, nor could I even conceive of what he'd done, had the roles been reversed.

"I would've waited, too, beautiful," he answered my internal question. "I would've waited lifetimes," he whispered, but held me up when I could no longer hold back my need for him, for more, for deeper.

Knowing fingers slipped between my legs, rubbing furiously as he bent me slightly forward. He pounded furiously into me, my climax causing me to slam my hands flat against the glass doors. They splintered and cracked, the spiderweb effect starting from where my hands were still planted.

Edward's forehead fell between my shoulder blades, his heavy breathing, though unnecessary, blew against my wet skin, causing a shiver to wrack my frame.

I stood up straight, eying the damage and groaning. "Oh hell, Miss Esther's gonna kill me," I sighed, shaking my head at the shattered glass of my shower door.

Edward chuckled softly behind me, but his smile fell when we both heard the knock on my door. I shut the shower off, carefully opening the door.

"I'll give you a minute," I told him, tilting my head at him. "There are some sweat pants on the vanity. It was all I could find. They're Jasper's, so they should fit you." I handed him a towel, but he seemed frozen. "Hey," I said softly, and his eyes snapped to mine. "He's so not mad at you, Edward. I swear it."

He nodded, swallowing thickly, and I left the room, quickly tugging on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, before yanking open my front door.

Carlisle stood in front of me, still dressed for work in dress pants, a button-down, and a tie. His blond hair never out of place, but his sweet smile greeted me warmly.

"Carlisle," I sighed, rushing to his arms.

He hugged me back tightly, whispering in my ear, "He's here?"

I nodded, pulling back and biting on my bottom lip. "He's nervous...and he's in a terrible situation. I fear I've only made it worse."

Carlisle beamed, snickering to himself. "You are his mate, then?"

"Yeah." I chuckled at the pure happiness rolling off of the man that had been my father for the last ten years.

"Alice was right," we laughed softly together.

"Come in," I told him, closing the door behind us.

"Esme misses you," he chided, giving me a pointed look. "You have to come rescue her soon, because the boys have trapped her into some sort of poker marathon."

I laughed, loving my family immensely and hoping to God and all that was holy that Edward fell in love with them, too.

"All she has to do is win a few hands, and then they won't want to play with her anymore," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Hasn't she figure that out yet?"

"Alice keeps winning," he laughed, but we both looked up when my bedroom door opened.

The emotions that flickered over both men's faces were as easy to read as a book. Edward radiated guilt and sorrow, not to mention fear and determination. Carlisle looked upon his "firstborn" with an unconditional love that made my eyes sting with the need to shed tears I could no longer cry. They began a conversation that was silent.

"I know," Edward answered him, his eyes flickering to me. "I won't. I can't, Carlisle. I just don't know how to fix it."

"I can leave you two..." I offered, but both of them stopped me.

"No, Bells, stay," Carlisle requested.

"Please?" Edward said at the same time.

I nodded, curling up in my chair in the corner as Carlisle turned to Edward.

"Son, why don't you tell me what happened, and then we'll see if all hope is lost, okay?"

Edward sat on the edge of the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees as he spoke mainly to his feet. He told us in complete detail exactly what had happened from the moment he'd left Carlisle over sixty years ago, to just up until a few days ago. He spoke of the Volturi, and his plea for release. He told Carlisle about Aro's ultimatum, and that was when our father stood up abruptly from the chair.

Edward didn't flinch, but stared wide-eyed at Carlisle.

"I do believe Aro forgets himself," Carlisle growled, pulling out his phone.

Edward looked to me curiously, and I shrugged. We both watched as Carlisle spoke flawless Italian into the phone, asking to speak with Aro.

"Carlisle, my old friend," Aro sang over the phone, and Edward snorted, rolling his eyes. "What do I owe the pleasure of a phone call from you?"

"My _son_ is telling me interesting things, Aro," Carlisle answered, gazing down at Edward.

"Son? Do you mean Edward?" Aro asked, but I could hear a slight growl to his tone. "His life belongs to me... He owes me one last..._mission_."

"His life is his own, and I do believe he's..._mated_ with that last _mission_, Aro," Carlisle said smoothly. "You know the law as well as I do. You can not take a mate away from another. It goes against everything we stand for...never mind what diet we choose. I believe you and Marcus wrote that law when you found your wives. Am I correct..._old friend_?"

There was a hint of a threat in there, I was sure of it, but Carlisle wasn't finished.

"I believe you also owe me a favor, Aro, and I'm going to collect on it now. I'm pretty sure you remember that incident in Rome. I do believe that mob would have lynched you for killing the butcher's daughter. Good thing I was there..."

"Yes, yes, _Rome_," Aro snapped, clearly up against the wall now. "What do you want, Carlisle?"

"My son's freedom, his debt cleared, and his life his own to live with his newly found mate, Isabella," Carlisle stated, his eyes never leaving Edward's. "However, if it's a fight over the size of my..._family_, Aro, I can give you one. I'll see you coming, of course, and my family is strong – even stronger now that my son is home. Is that what you want?"

"No, no, of course not!" Aro scoffed. "Whatever gave Edward the idea that I was out for war..."

"Right," I snorted, and Carlisle shot me a wink, because we both knew that Alice had seen the coming fight.

"What will it be..._old friend_?" Carlisle asked, practically sneering into the phone.

"I will not break the law," Aro huffed. "If Edward has mated with Isabella, then they are bound to each other. And he's your responsibility, Carlisle. If he steps one toe out of line again, though...he'll answer to us again. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Carlisle said, a smirk playing on his face. "It was nice speaking with you again, Aro."

And with that said, the call was ended, but Carlisle turned to face Edward, who was already nodding and standing, and he offered a hand to his father. Carlisle tugged him, pulling him into a hug and patting him on the back.

"Thank you," Edward mumbled, his voice full of emotion. "I'm so sorry, Father."

Carlisle pulled back, his hands on Edward's shoulders. "You're home safely, son...that's the most important thing." He studied his face as another silent conversation took place, and Edward nodded slowly, looking down in shame, but Carlisle turned to me. "Bella, make sure he hunts, and then bring him by the house. It's time he met everyone officially."

"Sure, no problem," I said, smiling at Edward.

"And Edward, your mother's missed you and your playing," he chuckled, giving a smirking Edward a wink. "I believe your old piano is still in tune. Esme has someone come out every ten years or so..."

"Yes, sir," Edward chuckled, and I'd swear that if he were human, he'd be blushing.

Hearing that thought, my handsome mate spun his head to glare at me, but I could only giggle and shrug at him. "Just wait until you meet everyone," I sang, waving a hand at him.

"Oh! Which reminds me," Carlisle chuckled, picking up a bag that he'd set by my door. "Alice said Edward would be needing clothes..."

I laughed harder, raising an eyebrow at Edward. "Told you!"

Edward grinned a stunning smile, taking the bag from him with a chuckle. "Thanks," he snorted, setting it on the chair.

Carlisle walked to me, kissing my forehead. "Love you, Bella. See you at the house soon."

"Love you, too." I smiled up at him, knowing he'd want to talk later, but it would have to wait.

Once Carlisle had gone, Edward was instantly on his knees in front of me. "Would it be too soon if I told you I love you, too?" he asked, but I was already shaking my head no as I brushed his hair from his forehead.

"No. I think I loved you before I met you," I told him, leaning in to kiss his forehead. "I know that sounds crazy, but..." I shrugged, tracing his face with my fingertip, reveling that he was finally there, finally in my life.

"And never leaving," he finished for me. "I suppose I should hunt, huh?" he asked, his nose wrinkling a bit. "Get back on the right diet?"

I smiled, tilting my head at him. "Yeah, I think so. Are you ready?"

He leaned in, kissing me softly. "I've never been more ready. Show me, beautiful..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN... There you go. Like I said, this was just a "what if" thing for me. It was something I couldn't get out of my head. **

**Before you ask, I don't know if there is anymore to these two. AT MOST, there could be a touch on the future, but it would be one chapter...nothing more. This was just a little something that I wanted to jot down. **

**I hope you liked it, and I have to thank a few people for this one. It was just a sudden thing for me to write this that I recruited several people for opinions. Goober_Lou, MedusaInNY, and les16 all pre-read this for me...asking me TONS of questions and making sure I got it _just right_. Thank you for that. JenRar beta'd this, making sure that all my errors went away...thank you so much. And then...there's the absolutely GORGEOUS banner that MedusaInNY made for this that you'll be able to see on my blog... www(dot)drotuno(dot)blogspot(dot)com Go check it out. I'll be posting it some time this morning. I love all of you ladies...thank you! MUWAH!**

**For those of you that are waiting for _Sin and Innocence_, the sequel to _Blood and Glory_, it still is coming, but not yet. The notes are written and the outline is just about set...and I assure you that it will be just as..._intense_ as the first one, because there are scary things that will happen. So please stay tuned.**

**I hope you liked this. Like I said, it just called to me to write it, so let me know what you think. Until the next time...Later. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N... Hey, guys! :) Did you miss me? I missed you, that's for sure. I wanted to thank everyone that Tweeted me, messaged me on FB, and PM'd me on FF... My answer was always the same...I'm working on something. I promise. LOL Now, I'm actually working on 2 somethings for you. This was one of them.**

**Continuing this o/s was something I'd always wanted to do, but wasn't quite sure which direction I wanted to go. I also knew it wasn't going to be an epic like some of my other fics. So that being said, this won't be more than 6 chapters. **

**PLEASE READ... If it's been awhile since you've read this o/s, then I suggest you read it again, because I pick up right at the end of it, and I reference it quite a bit. Considering it's sort of a reverse Twilight situation, I had no choice.**

**The same rules apply... Everything belongs to SM, I just play with her people, this is rated M for language and lemony things, and for those of you that knew I was taking a break... Why, yes, I did get to catch up on some reading. ;)**

**Okay, if you're all caught up...then on with it...**

~oooOOOooo~

Chapter 2

**EPOV**

I gazed out the window as the city slowly merged into something more suburban, finally giving way into rural and forested. The rain had stopped, leaving the morning looking clean, fresh, but still cloudy. It would be good hunting weather – a thought that caused me to grimace. I hadn't hunted animals in over sixty years. I hoped I could do it again. I had to – for her.

I looked over at Bella as she shifted gears and changed lanes. My _mate. _It was something I could barely grasp, considering all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. I'd found my reason for existence, my freedom from Italy, and had been welcomed back into my sire's – my _father's – _arms. Not one of those things had seemed remotely possible before I'd left Volterra.

We'd been quiet since Carlisle left her apartment, even more so since she'd suggested that we drive out of the city. Bella's thoughts were shielded, and despite the fact that I wanted to hear what she was thinking, it didn't really bother me all that much. The mental silence was a relief after almost a hundred years of white noise chaos in my head, but the pull to her, the electricity that generated between us had not abated. In fact, it had only increased, tripling into something I wasn't sure I truly understood, which only reminded me of the first thoughts Carlisle had given me as a warning.

As I'd dressed in her room, I'd listened to him greet Bella with so much love and compassion...and quiet hope – the hope that centered around seeing me, completing his family, and at his youngest "child" for finally finding her happiness. When I'd emerged from Bella's room, my worries, my fears of seeing nothing but disappointment on his features were immediately assuaged. He'd only shown what he'd always shown – the pure, unadulterated, unconditional love.

But along with that love had come a warning. I stared out the window as I remembered my reunion with Carlisle.

~o~

Edward, it's good to see you, and there is nothing that you have done or will do in the future that I can't accept or forgive. However, if you hurt Isabella..._ He shook his head minutely, but his eyes were hard, his mind showing me that to hurt Bella would be unforgivable in his eyes. He loved her like his own daughter...like he still loved me. _She's your mate, son. I can see how you love her already. You can't leave her; I won't allow it. It would kill you both. You've already bonded with her..._ His eyes fell briefly to the mark on my bare shoulder – Bella's mark._

"_I know." I stated firmly, giving Bella a glance. She was so fucking beautiful, she was mine, and the pull to go to her again was strong, almost overwhelming. "I won't. I can't, Carlisle. I just don't know how to fix it."_

_Being in his presence again was so fucking comforting, so damned easy, because he'd never judged me on anything, but I silently begged him to help me. I felt like the seventeen-year-old boy I once was, the one that had leaned on the man in front of me for everything from learning to hunt, to acclimating myself to being around humans, to focusing on how to touch a piano again without destroying it. My eighty years were stripped from me, my immortality was insignificant, because I was simply a young man in love with his girl, and he just wanted to know how he could keep her, looking to the only person that could help._

"_I can leave you two..." Bella offered softly, but I couldn't stand the thought of her all the way across the room, much less actually leaving the apartment._

"_No, Bells, stay," Carlisle told her at the same time I begged, "Please?"_

We're being rude, Edward,_ Carlisle thought with a touch of amusement to his inner voice and a twinkle in his eye. _It's so easy to slip back into communicating with you this way.

_As Bella curled up gracefully like a cat in her chair, my father said, "Son, why don't you tell me what happened, and then we'll see if all hope is lost, okay?"_

~o~

I snapped back to the present when the car slowed down, Bella pulling it over to the side of the road. She had amazing taste in cars, I mentally noted as the Audi came to a complete stop. Her shield was lifted and her mind wide open. She was worried for me, concerned about whether or not I was truly ready to change my diet.

"I have to," I murmured, gazing around at the trees surrounding us, finally meeting her amber gaze. "It's the right thing. It's what I should've been doing all along, despite who I was...working for. Carlisle did it when he was with the Volturi. I should have done the same thing."

My list of regrets was endless, detailed, and disturbing. Carlisle had never once asked for an apology, and somehow, I knew he'd never bring it up again. Bella, however, was a completely different road I'd have to travel. Her mind was calm and easy, asking me for nothing other than my presence, but I wanted – no, I _needed – _to prove myself worthy of her. She loved being a Cullen, loved living amongst humans, and she wanted me to share in that. I had no choice. If I loved her, if we were bound to one another, then I had to face the tough parts – learning to hunt animals again, meeting a now much larger family, and facing the one person that I'd probably hurt the most by my leaving. Esme.

"It's not easy," Bella sighed, her finger tracing the edge of the car's center console. "Going back, I mean." Her nose wrinkling adorably, and I could fight the pull to touch her no longer, so I picked up her hand, linking our fingers together. "I hated that I slipped, but I hated even more just how much I'd liked it."

I nodded, swallowing nervously. "I want to do this. I've done it before, Bella. I can do it again."

She smiled, nodded, and slipped her hand from mine in order to exit the car. I joined her, taking a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I let my instincts take over, my senses sharpening to everything that was around me. There wasn't a human around for many miles, but I could hear heartbeats close by – the rapid flutter of a fox off to the left just under a fir, the heavy thumps of a few deer about five miles straight ahead, and the rustle of feathers as an owl settled on a branch after his long night. Underneath all of that was the sound of beetles rumbling through the grasses, the hum of the electric lines above our heads, and Bella's slow, calm breathing.

"I'm going to help you, okay?" she asked softly, taking my hand.

"How?" I asked, gazing down at her.

She giggled. "Carlisle says you're fast. Very fast. I can't chase you down if you catch a human scent, Edward, but I can shield a large area, okay?"

Chuckling, I nodded. "I can't sense humans..."

"No... Well, this is the Appalachian Mountains. There are people scattered out here. I tried to bring you to the remotest area," she explained, tugging me toward the edge of the woods, "but just in case, I'll stop you if I have to."

Grinning, I wanted to tease her, tell her I wasn't a newborn, but she was only being cautious. Our nature tends to put us in a frenzy when we're hunting – animal or human – so anything was possible.

"Thank you," I whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Hey, I know hikers taste better than deer, so..." She giggled, biting her bottom lip. "Unfortunately, there aren't any mountain lions out here..."

I barked a laugh. "That used to be my favorite."

"I know, Esme told me," she chuckled. "They're my favorite, too, but I haven't had any since we left the Pacific Northwest. Out here, though, there are bears. We can totally rub it in Emmett's face, so let's go."

Like a shot, she was off, but I could also sense when her shield settled over the forest. It wasn't a small area, either. It seemed to move with her in a large circumference like a dome, cutting off half the sounds and smells. But somehow, that relaxed me, because I could trust that she was here to help. She wouldn't let me fail. I'd been alone for so long that it took a second for that to sink in. Instead of the expected feelings of annoyance or frustration, all I found was comfort.

Maybe it was my new freedom, maybe it was the major changes I'd just gone through, or maybe it was simply because I wanted it, but the three deer and one bear that I took down didn't taste as disgusting as I'd remembered. They were nowhere as sweet as a human's blood, the deer much more bland and muddy, but the bear was damned close. And if the bear was close, then I knew my old favorite of lions would still satisfy me like they once had. As I dropped the bear's body to the forest floor, I stood up straight with a smile on my face. I _could_ do this again.

I found Bella in a clearing, perched on a large rock, her knees drawn up to her chin with her arms wrapped around them. Her mind flickered flashes of several memories – past, present, human. It was like she was searching for a specific one or coming to some sort of conclusion, because it was like rifling through a filing cabinet. The faces of the immortals from the club took precedence at the forefront of her mind, as well as Carlisle and Esme.

A soft breeze blew her dark hair back from her face, her scent swirling around me, calling me. She was orange blossoms, freesia, and now she carried my scent on her, which caused a rumbling growl to erupt from my chest.

Her sweet giggle and wry expression cast over her shoulder made me unable to not go to her.

"Yeah, you smell like me, too," she chuckled, gazing down at me warmly with now lighter, honey-colored eyes when I knelt in front of her. "And bear...and deer... How'd it go?"

I shrugged a shoulder, gathering her in my arms so that I could lean back against the rock with her on my lap. "It was a means to an end, Bella. Turning a page, if you will." Cupping her face and caressing her cheeks with my thumbs, I asked, "You hunted?"

"Yeah, two deer," she answered softly. "I left the other bear. When I got to her, I realized she was off limits. Carlisle's rules haven't changed."

Through her mind, I could see that the female bear was pregnant, and I smiled at not the one extra, but _two_ extra heartbeats that she'd heard.

"Twins." I nodded and chuckled, but it trailed off, because I felt the need to clarify things with her. "I had my own rules for hunting," I told her, tapping my temple. "Never innocents. Only criminals. I kept the list of sexual predators on me. I'd hunt them, watch them, take them. Aro hated it, but I refused to hunt any other way. Human monsters only. I never joined them at the castle. They're more the monsters than they're willing to admit, nor are they as civilized as they like to portray themselves. Tourists, families, people drawn in by our beauty. I'd leave the castle at feeding time, though I didn't stay there very often anyway. I was..."

"A nomad," she whispered, tracing my face with her fingers as I nodded slowly. "Yes, we've run into a few since I've been with the family. Three in particular gave us trouble. One tried to... Well, he wanted me. His mate...or at least that's what she called herself...wasn't happy that she was cast aside for someone new."

A snarl ripped through me unexpectedly, my instinct to protect what was mine kicking into overdrive, despite the fact that it was in the past.

"They are...no more," Bella stated with finality, her eyes dark. "Alice saw what he planned, Jasper used their emotions against them, I trapped them, and Emmett, Carlisle, and Rose destroyed them. It was over within a day."

"Good," I rasped, rubbing the outside of her thighs over her jean-clad legs. "My...former lifestyle doesn't bother you?"

Bella snorted, shaking her head. "No, Edward. We are what we are. It's hard to fight that sometimes. Hell, you probably saved more lives than you took," she stated firmly, her voice almost nonchalant.

The urge to touch her, pull her closer, claim her again was roaring through me like a tidal wave at her simple acceptance of me. "Is it supposed to feel this way?" I asked her almost in a whisper, because I didn't know. I'd never paid much attention to mated couples in Italy, and I'd tried my damnedest to stay out of Carlisle's and Esme's minds when she first joined us. "I feel...off if I'm not touching you."

She nodded. "Yes, the first several years, especially. And if you're Rose and Emmett, then always," she laughed. "I'm probably an expert on an outsider's view of mated vampire couples."

I wrinkled my nose at just how bitter that last statement came out. "Was it difficult? To be around them, I mean."

Bella cast a glance at the rock behind me, letting out a long, deep breath. "I was... It was... Yes and no," she finally settled on as her answer with a shrug of one shoulder. "My first years as a newborn were rough, because I found out why I was changed. Not only to save me, but for you – which I was okay with, but then when you didn't show and didn't show, I was angry. I felt like this extra person in the family. A fifth wheel. I'd lost my human family, because we'd had to fake my death after the van collided into me. To my parents, I'd died during my transport to the hospital; my femoral artery had been severed. My mother is still around, living with my stepfather, Phil, in St. Louis. My dad..."

I pulled Bella closer to me, hugging her tightly, because a tremor wracked her frame. She didn't need to tell me about her father. I could see it all in her mind. Her father had blamed himself for her death because he was in charge of her well being at the time, and apparently his guilt coupled with his poor health had caused too much stress on his heart.

"Oh," I murmured, kissing her lips softly as I brushed her hair from her face.

"Carlisle tried his best, but there was no bringing him back. I was a newborn at the time, hiding out at the family home, so I didn't know until it was all over. After that, we left Forks," she sighed, tilting her beautiful head at me. "For a few years, my anger was...a hair trigger away. Jasper told me that it was all a part of being a newborn, but I think he was just trying to make me feel better, especially after the hiker incident.

"Don't get me wrong, Edward," she gushed, cupping my face. "I love them all. Immensely. I have brothers and sisters that I never thought I'd have, and Esme is the mother that my own never was. I don't know what I'd have done without her. And her love for you..." Bella shook her head slowly but never finished that sentence. "Carlisle, though...he's..."

"Amazing," I added for her, and she nodded. "Yeah, I know. Never ending patience."

"Exactly," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "It was frustrating."

I grinned and nodded. "Just when you'd want a damn good fight..."

"He wouldn't give in," she finished with a laugh. "Drove me crazy. If I wanted a fight, I had to pick it with Emmett. He never lost his newborn strength, you see, so he was perfect."

Chuckling, I shook my head at the memory in her mind. This Emmett was a big bastard, but she'd apparently held her own...or he loved her enough not to break her. After just observing her for the past week, never mind my last twenty-four hours with her, I'd be willing to bet it was the latter. Bella was damned easy to love.

"I want to know everything about you," I whispered, nipping her lips with my own, only to pull back to lock gazes with her. "Everything."

"Me, too," she replied softly, smiling sweetly. "We've got this whole..._never gonna die_ thing in our favor, Edward. I think we've got time," she teased, biting her bottom lip.

"Somehow, I'm okay with that," I chuckled, but my laughter trailed off. "This feels so...backwards. In my time, we wouldn't have jumped into things, but..."

"In my time, it's a normal occurrence," she countered, wearing a silly grin. "We aren't human anymore. We are essentially selfish creatures, so acting on impulse – or in this case, instinct – isn't wrong. I can't feel badly about wanting to keep you. Not when I finally got you."

"Then why are you holding back?" I asked her. "I've seen it, felt it...ever since Carlisle left."

She laughed, her eyes darkening into naughty, sexy black as she felt me harden beneath her. "Because you have a family to meet and only one change of clothes."

Grinning, I nodded and sighed. "True, but still..."

Slipping my hands into her hair, I pulled her face to mine. I wanted to consume her, lose myself in her, but she was right. We'd promised Carlisle we'd come to his home after our hunt, but that didn't mean I couldn't satisfy my craving for a small taste of her.

I knew it was playing with fire, because we didn't have time. We couldn't give in to any of it, but the need to kiss her was killing me. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, I pulled her mouth to mine. The need to continuously claim her worried me, but it didn't seem to bother Bella. She leaned into me, turning her head to deepen the kiss as her fingers threaded into my hair. Tongues danced, hands gripped, and hips rolled heavily and lazily against each other.

Giving her hair a sharp tug, I pulled her head to the side, leaving long, slow, open mouth kisses down her neck. I smiled when she released a low, feline sounding purr, only to change to a growl when I nipped at her skin. I couldn't wait to find all the places that caused her make those sounds, because I was quite sure I hadn't found them all yet. Though, I'd tried my damnedest at her apartment.

"Edward, we need to go," she said breathily against my jaw.

"I've met Alice," I whispered just before suckling her earlobe. I cupped her ass, grinding her slowly over my erection. "I was there when Rosalie was changed," I told her softly, dragging my lips across her throat, only to start all over on the other side of her neck. "Fuck... You taste so good..._right here_," I mused aloud, swirling my tongue along the soft spot right behind her ear.

"We promised Carlisle," she begged softly, her fists gripping the shoulders of my shirt.

I stopped, let out a heavy breath, and pulled back to look at her, my head falling back to the rock behind me. "What do they know about me?"

"With Alice? Probably everything. Including this stalling tactic you're using," she chuckled, kissing my lips. "She sees it all, whether she wants to or not. She tries to give us our privacy, but she can't always help it."

"I know the feeling," I chuckled, tapping my temple. "I've seen and heard it all."

Bella's nose wrinkled adorably. "That must suck."

"Not with you," I countered honestly. "It must be your shield. You soften the level of it. I feel almost normal. I think that's how you caught me on the rooftop."

Bella grinned wickedly and beautifully. "I caught you because I'd shielded the entire block so you couldn't hear behind you."

Laughing, I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. "Well, thanks for not dropping me in the barbecue pit, love."

"No problem," she chirped, grinning as she stood up from my lap. "Come on. I promise... No barbecue pits, and no one hates you...not even Rose. They've kinda been looking forward to this."

"For you...or for me?" I asked, standing up in front of her and brushing off my jeans.

"Both," she said, but it was the sweet, warm smile that just did me in. I'd walk into hell just to see it.

Shoving my hands into my front pockets to keep from grabbing her again, I shook my head. "That doesn't make me any less nervous. Esme was really hurt when I left."

"She loves you."

"It's been over sixty years, Bella," I argued, gazing out over the woods around us.

"And we don't change. She still loves you. She's missed you."

"I've missed her, too," I whispered, frowning at just how true that statement was.

Bella reached out, tugging on my shirt. "Then let's fix that."

Swallowing nervously, I nodded, letting her lead us back to the car.

~oOo~

**BPOV**

Carlisle had explained to me once how the Volturi operated, the things they governed, the role they played in the immortal world. He'd told me they made sure that the one fast rule was never broken – that we stay a secret from the humans. He'd spent many years with them, so he knew more than just their laws; he knew the three brothers. Caius, cold and calculating. Marcus, seemingly emotionless, with the ability to see the bonds between relationships. And Aro, probably the most frightening of all, because despite his outer demeanor of civility and good manners, he was ruthless, listening to every thought in your mind if he got the chance to touch you. If he wanted something, he had no shame in taking it. And Aro always wanted talents. Carlisle protected me, Alice, and Jasper for that very reason, especially when Alice saw a pending war on the family.

The stories had scared the shit out of me when I was human, giving me nightmares for weeks, because I was pretty sure Alice knew that Edward had been with the Volturi at that point.

"Really?" Edward gasped, his head spinning away from the passenger side window as we made our way to the family home. "She knew?"

I shook my head. "You'll have to ask her. I told you she saw you whenever your name was mentioned, but I stopped asking after a few years. I made her promise that she would let me know when you decided to come home, but anything other than that, I didn't want to know."

"I think Carlisle knew," he stated softly, his eyes and fingers focused on a nonexistent piece of lint on his jeans. "When I was telling him what happened, he didn't seem all that surprised." He sighed, shaking his head. "My talent saved my life, but it also kept me prisoner."

"What did you do for him?"

"Hunted talents," he murmured, looking away from me and back out the window. "You were to be my last."

"I was your last," I chuckled, which caused a beautifully crooked smile to creep up on his angelic face. "How did he know about me?"

"Scouts," he replied, looking over at me. "He reads every mind that comes through his chamber. If someone you knew visited Italy, it's quite possible that he saw you. My place was not to ask the how...I merely was told where and to bring them back."

"Did you ever try to run?"

Edward huffed a humorless laugh. "No. I couldn't run. The first decade, I was watched like a hawk. Aro told me that if I ran, he'd track me, and he could. He's got trackers that can hunt anyone down. I should know...I gave him one of them. So even if I had gotten free, I couldn't have just come home. I would have led them straight to Carlisle."

"So why agree to come get me?" I asked, slightly hurt that he would risk leading them to Carlisle again and that I was just the next talent on Aro's list.

Edward's deep red eyes softened at my line of thinking, and he picked up my hand and kissed my palm, sending sparks of electricity throughout my entire being. "I didn't know you, Bella. But I saw it as an opportunity to cut a deal with him, to end my time with them. He wanted you above all others, so I used that against him to come here. It all changed when I saw you. I'd never been so conflicted."

"And the rule about mates?" I asked as I finally turned down Carlisle's long, winding driveway.

"It's steadfast, and I can't believe I didn't remember it," Edward chuckled, looking up when the house loomed large, white, and grand in front of us. "They know I'm here," he muttered, his brow furrowing.

_I don't have to read minds to know what they're all thinking,_ I thought to him, grinning when he spun his gaze my way. _Alice is just happy to have another "mind freak" in the family. Her words, not mine. Rose is Rose. Nothing has changed when it comes to her, so her thoughts will be centered on how this affects her. Jasper will be curious, but protective. He's an empath, so he'll read everything you're giving off, but he's sweet and kind, too – which means that he'll calm you if he thinks you need it. Emmett will be guarded...for about five seconds. Believe me, he's happy another man is joining the family. He's tired of being outnumbered._

Edward's head tilted just slightly as he chuckled a bit. "There are no relationships like this in Italy."

"There are no relationships like this in humanity," I countered with a laugh. "Come on. They'll love you because I do."

It really was that simple, though I knew he was still nervous. Hell, if the roles had been reversed, I'd have been terrified. I also knew he had to resolve his leaving with Esme.

The smile that graced his beautiful face was shy, sweet, and every bit the seventeen-year-old he'd been frozen as, giving away everything he was feeling at the moment as he gazed at me through his long, dark eyelashes. Even though his eyes were red, they still held warmth, love, and worry.

Leaning across the console of my car, he whispered, "Love you, too," against my lips.

Somehow, that simple sentence – or maybe it was the kiss – gave him enough courage to open the car door and step out onto the driveway. I couldn't help but giggle, because I could hear Alice's bouncing happiness as we stepped up onto the front steps.

I gave his hand a squeeze. _You'll be just fine. I promise. Ready?_ I thought to him.

He nodded, his brow furrowing just a bit before I opened the door. I wanted to roll my eyes at the welcoming committee that was in front of me. The entire family was in the living room. Thank God, though, Carlisle stepped forward.

"Son," he greeted, wearing a giant happy smile and shaking Edward's hand. "How'd it go?"

"Fine. Good, actually," he answered, running a hand through his hair.

"Excellent!" Carlisle praised, turning to face the room. "Edward, our family has grown a bit. Let me introduce you to those that you don't know." He gestured to Emmett. "This is Emmett. He joined us not long after you left. He's Rosalie's mate."

The two boys nodded once at each other, and Emmett was trying to keep a fierce gaze on his face with his huge arms crossed over his chest, but he failed miserably, breaking out into his usual carefree, dimply grin. "'Sup?" he asked with a wave. "Maybe now Bells won't be so cranky..."

I growled deeply, stepping forward. "I can show you cranky, Em."

"Bring it, baby sis," he chuckled, waving me forward.

"Emmett, shut it!" Alice warned, rolling her eyes as she stepped forward. She didn't bother with a handshake, but hugged Edward, who was a little taken aback. "Finally, a civilized brother," she giggled, sticking her tongue out to a scoffing Emmett. "Nice to see you again, Edward. Glad you made the right decisions."

She must have shown him something, because he grinned, both of them shooting a glance my way.

"Me, too," he agreed with her, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I'll show you how it works sometime," Alice laughed, answering some unasked decision that Edward must've made.

"This is Jasper, her mate," Carlisle continued with an amused smile on his face. "You two have a lot in common. He and Alice joined us in the fifties."

Jasper stepped forward, but Edward's instincts kicked in due to how dangerous my brother looked. He was covered in scars, all received from his life prior to Alice.

Jasper sent him a calm, friendly feeling and held his hand out. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too." Edward visibly relaxed when he took Jasper's hand, until his head spun toward Rosalie, who was sitting next to Emmett on the loveseat. "Yes, I can, Rose," he said with almost a growl. "I see you haven't changed one bit. And no, I hadn't thought that far ahead."

"Just checking," she chuckled wryly, rolling her eyes. "Welcome back, then, Edward."

He huffed a noise, but his eyes landed on the far side of the room where Esme was standing. His fists clenched and unclenched over and over. We all shut up, because we knew just how much our mother had missed her "firstborn" son. She carried no anger at his leaving, just simply a mother's worry. She was the sole reason I'd kept my sanity all these years, because she had faith that Edward would come home.

He walked to her, saying, "I'm sorry, Mom."

It was three simple and quiet words, but their meaning was everything. Esme's smile could've lit up the New York skyline, but Edward's head hung in shame as he stood before her.

"My sweet boy," she whispered, cupping his face and standing up on her toes in order to kiss his cheek. "I'm so glad you're home. I've missed you. My family is whole again."

She had to have said something to him silently, because he suddenly chuckled. "Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. And no, I promise." Once again, he looked like a sweet teen boy.

"Did Bella take you hunting?" she asked him.

"Yes. It'll take getting used to again, but..." His voice trailed off, because there wasn't a person in the room that didn't understand, except maybe Rose. She'd never fallen off of our diet. Ever.

"I have faith in you, son," Carlisle stated firmly. "I'm sure it's not easy, and we're all here for you. But your mother and I would like to talk to you alone, if you don't mind."

"Yes, sir," Edward answered, giving me one last glance before following Carlisle and Esme up to Carlisle's study.

"He's nervous," Jasper muttered to me, wearing his slightly crooked smile. "But happy."

"Thanks, Jazz," I told him.

"And boy, oh boy..." He huffed a laugh, draping an arm around my shoulders. "Does he have it bad for you, darlin'. That's a lot of lust he's pushing. However, he's not the only one," he chuckled, raising an eyebrow at me.

I tried to give Jasper a stern look, but the laughter in the room was contagious. And I couldn't deny it, either, because after hunting with Edward, after he kissed me stupid as we sat against that rock, I still wanted him. Badly. He was so beautiful – more beautiful than any picture Carlisle had ever shown me – but it was more than that. It was his sweet acceptance of everything, the fact that he needed me, and just how comforted and loved I felt in his presence. And it had all happened the second we'd spoken to each other, the moment we'd touched. I'd never been so grateful for Alice's visions as I was in that moment.

"You, on the other hand... There's a calmness to you now that wasn't there before," Jasper whispered, his brow furrowing. "No more anger just under the surface."

I smiled and shook my head. "No, there's not."

"Girl talk!" Alice suddenly squealed, taking my hand and Rose's, practically dragging us up the stairs and into the room that Esme had designated as mine on the top floor.

It was an illusion, the idea of a separate "girl talk" conversation. We were in a house filled with ultra-sensitive hearing – and now a mind reader, which caused a soft, deep, sexy chuckle to echo up from Carlisle's study.

_Laugh it up, Edward_, I thought to him, grinning when he snorted again, trying his best to shut up. _Just wait. You'll get cornered, too. Welcome to the world of siblings._

With that last thought, I dropped my shield down over the room. No need to embarrass him with mine or the girls' thoughts, because I was pretty sure I was about to take the brunt of it for both of us. Alice and Rose were ruthless when it came to girl talk, something that I was never comfortable with as a human and even less so as a vampire. My personal life was practically nil as a human, which only made my sisters that much more meddlesome, especially after I'd discovered Edward's picture and what the Cullen family truly was. They'd wanted me to find a human boy, someone I could date, but it had been impossible. I'd tried, but failed miserably – it was fumbling, awkward, and unappealing. Once I was changed, my personal life bottomed out to zero, nothing, nada. I was an angry newborn, waiting for the mate that I wasn't sure would ever show.

I gazed around the bedroom I rarely used. It was classic, yet with a touch of modern here and there. I wasn't her frilly girl, so Esme kept the feminine things to a minimum. She always set it up exactly the same, using the things from my human room at my dad's, my things in perfect order, but after we'd "graduated" from the last school, I'd begged for a break. I'd wanted my own place, separate from the family, away from perfect couples. I didn't want school again – at least, not quite yet. So when we'd moved to New York, I'd found an apartment of my own.

"You'll have to stay here again," Alice said knowingly as she sat on my bed. "Edward will need to feed more and more as his cravings change. That's what Carlisle is discussing with him now."

I nodded, falling down onto my window seat. Bringing my knees up to my chin, I asked, "Will he struggle?"

"Yes, but not enough to falter," she replied, shrugging a shoulder. "He's made the decision, so his future looks pretty set, no matter which way I look at it."

Rose snickered as she slowly walked around my room, her eyes on my endless collection of books. She reached up and tugged one down. "May I?"

"Yeah, sure," I told her.

"Edward is pretty tenacious and a perfectionist...a deadly combination," she said, sitting next to Alice on the bed, my copy of the latest Anne Rice in her lap. "It's how he left in the first place. He was determined to prove his point to Carlisle. If he's set his mind, then he'll bust his ass to get it right, to control his thirst for human blood. He was damned good at it before he left."

"I thought you didn't like him," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

I adored my sister, but Rose wasn't exactly a member of the Edward fan club, simply because he'd never really understood why Carlisle changed her. They'd told me he was vocal about it. Carlisle had merely been trying to give Edward company, hopefully a mate, and to save Rosalie, but it had backfired. They were just simply two very different personalities.

"I never said I didn't like him. I just always assumed he'd left because of me. I'd only been changed a year..." Her voice trailed off. "We argued constantly."

I frowned, having heard this before, only from Carlisle. I also didn't like hearing about this strong-minded Edward that was determined to leave.

Rose's eyes narrowed on me, and she stood up to join me on the window seat. She reached up to the collar of my shirt, jerking it gently to the side to reveal Edward's mark where my neck met my shoulder. She grinned, shaking her head.

"Nothing I say at this point will matter, will it?" she asked with a laugh. "You'd kick my ass for any wrong word against him. You mated."

I brushed her hand away with a nervous laugh, resting my cheek on the top of my knees. "Yes," I whispered, a sound that would have been silent to human ears.

I flinched at the squeals of excitement that erupted from my sisters, shaking my head and rolling my eyes, because I wasn't fucking stupid. I knew what was coming.

"Well?" the both practically yelled.

I laughed, waving them off, but it was useless; they'd never leave me be unless I gave them _something_. I looked to Rose. "It was like you said it was with Em...instant, electrical shock the first time we touched. We couldn't stop it if we tried."

"You can't stop it. It was meant to be. Just like I told you ages ago," Alice stated, wearing a silly as hell grin. "Now, aren't you glad I made you come to the club?"

"He changed his mind there, didn't he? At least, that's what he told me." I looked to her, but she was already nodding. "Thank you," I mouthed to her, because I had absolutely no doubt that her approaching him that night had changed everything.

She smiled, bouncing on my bed. "Spill, Bells. What's he like?"

My eyebrows shot up, and I laughed. "Not a chance, shorty. And it's not like you can't see it all..."

Alice had the audacity to try to play off a hurt expression, but Rose and I laughed at her. We knew damn well that she saw everything, no matter if she wanted to or not.

"Come on, Bells. Tell us... Has he got a big—" Rose started with a wicked look on her face, but she was interrupted before she could get another word out.

"Rosalie Hale Cullen, don't you dare finish that sentence. You're becoming more like Emmett every day," we heard from the doorway. Esme's amusement could barely be contained, but she was a mother to her very core, so she tried her best to keep us all in line. "Alice, I need you to—"

"Already done, Esme," Alice chirped. "I ordered online."

"Well, go get something for now, and take the boys with you," she told her, smiling evilly when Jasper and Emmett groaned like children from the living room. "Go! Scoot! Edward will need everything, so stock up well. And you might as well stock Bella up, too. Carlisle says they'll have to move back in."

I couldn't help but giggle at her. Her voice was just stating facts, but her face screamed happiness at the prospect of all her children back under one roof. She also wasn't fooling anyone. She wanted me alone.

"Fine, fine," Rose chuckled. "Time to talk to the _baby_," she teased, shoving me playfully before getting up to leave the room.

I lifted my shield, letting my sisters out and my mother in. We waited silently as we listened to the argument downstairs. The boys didn't want to go, but they wouldn't dare go against Esme's wishes. The only way to placate them was for Alice and Rose to promise they could get a new video game.

Esme sat across from me, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ear. "I know you like your apartment—"

"But Edward needs to be close to the woods. I know," I answered her before she finished. "Miss Esther will be upset."

"You don't have to get rid of it, sweetheart," she chuckled. "God knows, you'll need an escape. You and Edward are more alike than you know."

Grinning, I looked out my window over the vast expanse of forest that surrounded the Cullen home. While I chose to push my control limits by living in the city with humans all around, Carlisle always picked a wooded area, so upstate New York worked better for him. It gave them the freedom to be normal.

Esme cupped my cheek, much like she had Edward's. "You look... You're glowing, Bella," she whispered, her eyes falling to the mark on my neck.

Smiling, I pulled my collar up a bit. "He's...beautiful," I whispered back, unable to articulate what I truly wanted to say. Finally, I just opted for, "He was worth the wait."

Esme tilted her head at me. "I'm glad. You both deserve happiness. And now you'll have it. Always." She sighed, curling her legs underneath her. "Edward was always a good boy. He helped when he could when Carlisle found me. He got lost in the world, probably saw things no one ever should have, but I'm glad that things happened this way. There's something to be said for uninhibited love."

I shook my head at her, giggling. "You read way too many romances."

"I know what I'm talking about, Isabella Marie." She tried to sound reprimanding, but really, she could only laugh with me. "Fine, so I love a good love story. Sue me."

We were quiet for a moment. I gazed back out the window as she picked up my hand. Esme was my security blanket, my safe haven from everyone else. We could practically talk about anything, and she always knew if she should just let me be quiet.

"You know what I think?" she asked, and I shook my head no, meeting her eyes. They were warm, sweet, and comforting. "I think that this was how it was supposed to happen. That Edward was supposed to meet a strong, immortal girl, not a human like Alice theorizes. How heartbreaking it would've been if you'd been human and he couldn't love you like he wanted, like you'd have wanted to love him? Mated to a human would be misery, because you already worry enough when your mate is unbreakable. Imagine all the things that could happen to a human.

"And Edward was...intense back then," she continued. "He was fiercely loyal, protective of the family, and had the ability to love with his whole being. He would've gone insane if his mate was a fragile human girl."

Her love for her "oldest" son had never wavered. Carlisle had told me that the minute Esme opened her immortal eyes, she assumed the role of Edward's mother, simply because he had been changed so young. He said Edward had needed it, protected it, and developed a bond with Esme instantly. But like all vampires, after a few years of never aging, always moving, and constant thirst, Edward starting questioning...well, everything. He questioned whether there was a God and if he had a soul. He wondered why we needed to restrain what we truly were, when he obviously had the capability to see into the minds of evil. And he wanted to stretch his wings and fly.

I'd asked all those same things. However, I never flew as far away as Edward had. Carlisle and Esme never blamed, nor thought less of any of us for any of it.

Esme was right on one point. Edward loved with his entire heart and soul, whether he believed he had them or not. I could see that from the second we met. His eyes, despite their harsh color, told it all – his instant acceptance of us, his remorse for all that he'd done, and his hope that Carlisle could fix his situation, because he couldn't turn me over to the Volturi for the freedom he'd waited so long to have.

I nodded that I'd heard her, but said nothing. I could barely wrap my head around the fact that Edward was home, that we were indeed mated, and that everything from that point on had to change, much less think about what it would've been like to meet him while I was still human.

"Come on," she said, patting my hand. "Let's get this room ready. I think it's time to get rid of the purple. I've got just the thing to change it. And I think Edward and Carlisle will be a minute."

With a laugh, I nodded and stood up, suddenly wishing Edward was in the room, but I think Esme understood that, so I followed her lead. It felt strange needing him like that after being independent for so damn long, even as a human. As Esme and I stripped the bed, I smiled, wondering just what other changes were in our future.

**~oooOOOooo~**

**A/N... If you can't tell, this is about getting Edward acclimated back into his life, adjusting to the family and his mate. Plus, I loved playing around with this backwards storyline. :) But it was a slightly insecure Edward that called me back. **

**I'm not sure when I'll post again... Chapter 3 is just about done, but there won't be a set schedule to this story, because like I said, I'm working on another project, too. I'm co-writing with my beta, JenRar, and that fic absolutely has taken precedence over everything, but it also has to be complete before we post. It's getting there, I promise. Some of you on Twitter have a accused us of teasing. Yeah, sorry. We can't help it. ;)**

**Also a big, huge sloppy kiss to her for beta'ing this for me. It was sort of out of the blue that it hit me, so we're working it into everything else that we're doing. LOL It helps that she loves this Edward...**

**Another ginormous kiss to Goober_Lou for pre-reading this. Her main question was what Carlisle had silently asked Edward in Bella's apartment. Lol As always, she was my guide to what should be included. **

**Okay, it's that time... let me know what you think. Review for me. I read every last one, though I don't usually reply to them. RL and writing doesn't allow it. I figure more story is better. Until next time... Mooches! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N...I need to answer one or two questions from you guys. 1. If Edward turned James over to the Volturi, then who was the third nomad that the Cullens killed in Forks? In reality, it could be anyone...in my mind, it was Riley. It really had no importance to the story. James does, Riley and company does not. 2. How long will the story be? Not long...at least in comparison to my other War and Peace sized fics O_o This will be more than 6 chapters, but less than 10. 3. And finally, you were hoping for Edward's view on the family. Yes, yes... absolutely! :)**

**It was not a conscious decision to write this chapter in all Edward's POV, but it worked beautifully. I can't say it will happen that way again, but it seems the next one is turning into all Bella's. Look...I just do what the muse tells me. LOL ;) **

**See you at the bottom...**

Chapter 3

**EPOV**

Sitting down in Carlisle's study, I glanced around, a small chuckle escaping me. Despite the extreme differences in time, it was much the same as it had been when I'd first lived with him. There were modern additions, of course – a computer, phone, iPod – but his desk, his bookshelves, and a fair amount of his books were all very familiar. Even the smell was the same.

I felt my hand being picked up, and I glanced over to see Esme smiling at me.

_I've__ tried to change his taste in this office, but he just won't have it._

I laughed softly, looking up at Carlisle when he took a seat behind his desk.

"If she's complaining about this room again, I don't want to know," he teased, giving her a wink. "We all have things we can't let go, sweetheart. This room is mine."

Esme scoffed at him, rolling her eyes, but it was all done in pure affection. My head turned when feminine squeals echoed from the hallway, but it was Bella's thoughts I could hear the clearest. Apparently, Alice and Rose wanted "the scoop," but Bella found humor in the fact that there was no such thing as privacy in a house full of vampires that could essentially hear heartbeats from a mile away just as easily as a whispered conversation from the third floor. But it was now even worse, because there was a mind reader in the house.

Laughing, I cringed when she completely caught me, telling me she wasn't the only one that would be given the third degree. With a slight touch of disappointment, I sighed when all thoughts upstairs vanished out of my head.

"Poor Bella," Esme chuckled, shaking her head. "She's my happy little medium between the two girls. They drive her crazy – Alice with her hyperactivity, and Rose with her cynicism. And I won't even get into what the boys have put her through for the last decade."

Grinning, I faced her and Carlisle again, because it was all happy, fun, familial memories going through their minds. I focused on Esme, much like I'd done downstairs. I'd thought I'd missed her before I saw her, but it was nothing compared to the comfort she'd given me the minute she embraced me. Her thoughts had been centered on how much she'd missed me, but the first thing she'd silently asked me was whether or not I was happy to be back and if I thought Isabella was as beautiful as she did, to which I'd answered both questions with an honest, "Absolutely." But just like Carlisle, she'd followed it up with a warning that I wouldn't be leaving the family again. I'd vowed that I wouldn't.

"Why Bella?" I suddenly asked her, and then gazed up at Carlisle. "Why her? I mean, I understand about Alice's predictions – Bella explained it to me – but she was..._human_."

Carlisle smiled, his thoughts a blur on just how to answer that question, but he spoke aloud, most likely as a courtesy to Esme. "My theory on Bella started when she first moved to Washington. We'd already been there a few months, the..._kids_ were in school," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Has Bella explained that to you?"

"Yes. Something about being able to stay in one place for longer periods of time. It wasn't anything you and I hadn't discussed in the beginning. We all look young, so I can see how the facade would help. I'm surprised it works, though. Don't the humans recoil?" I asked.

"Some do, but most want to believe what we tell them. Well, everyone but Bella. She had no fear, no normal sense of self-preservation," he laughed. "And Alice was no help. They became fast friends, despite their differences. I allowed the friendship because it made huge improvements on Alice's demeanor and the family loved her instantly, but the first time Bella visited the house, Alice had a vision of you.

"It wasn't until Bella started developing another friendship that I started to become concerned. Her father's best friend was the chief of the Quileutes," he stated, his gaze locking with mine.

"Forks...La Push," I breathed, now understanding why he'd become concerned. I'd been with Carlisle at that time, leaving not long after that. In fact, I'd been with him when we'd created the treaty with the wolves that was now in the forefront of my father's mind. I'd not connected Bella with Forks because it had been so long since I'd been in the Pacific Northwest, but I knew Carlisle liked the area; the weather was perfect for us to navigate in the daytime.

"That same chief has a son, Jacob Black – Ephraim Black's grandson. The boy developed a pretty heavy attachment to Bella, so in order to impress her, he broke the treaty unknowingly, told her all about the legends. All of them," Carlisle continued. "Bella's not stupid, nor is she unobservant, so it was only a matter of days before she finally put two and two together. It took forever to calm Alice down, because she saw us leaving, and Alice wasn't quite ready to let go of Bella. But Alice has a tendency to use her visions for her own benefit." He chuckled, shaking his head. "So when she decided to tell Bella the truth, she saw that it was okay, that Bella accepted it, accepted _us_. I allowed it. I probably shouldn't have, but the day that Bella came over to talk to Alice was the first time Bella saw this picture."

Carlisle pointed to the shelf just above his head. Sitting in a old silver frame was a picture of me well after my change. I was wearing a solemn expression, but my eyes were clearly amber, despite the sepia tone to the photo. The clothes I was in represented the time – probably the mid- to late twenties.

"The very second Bella laid eyes on you, Alice froze in a vision. You were home again. Bella? She was immortal. She was your mate. Alice was certain of it," Carlisle stated softly, his eyes warm at the memory. "I refused to give hope to that plan. Period. But things have a way of working out, I suppose. The more Bella learned about you – because she became an insatiable sponge for knowledge – the more Alice's visions stayed clear. If I made a decision to leave, not only did Bella disappear, but so did you." Carlisle sat forward, his elbows resting on the desk in front of him, his head in his hands. "And then the worst happened... Bella was involved in an accident. I had no choice but to change her. The mere thought of losing her sent Alice into a frenzy that no one could calm, which in turn caused Jasper to panic. Emmett was fine with the idea; he loves her like his little sister. Rose took some convincing, but not much. She hated that Bella was losing her choices, but even she had become fond of the girl."

"But it was me, Edward," Esme interjected, wincing an apologetic face to Carlisle for interrupting. "I couldn't let her go at this point. Bella had stolen our hearts...almost from day one," she explained, and Carlisle nodded in agreement, only to continue.

"My decision to change her came wrapped up in two very large leaps of faith. I had to believe that Bella would be okay with my choice and that Alice's vision of your coming home would stay true. The hope of your eventual return was better than the devastating thought of never seeing you again," he finally finished, his mind filled with the needless guilt that he might be selfish for wanting it, but he reasoned that I was his "firstborn."

"She suffered," I whispered, frowning at him.

"She suffered no more than you did. She was lonely...and a newborn, not to mention damned powerful. It took a few years for her to learn to control her shield," Carlisle stated. "She was angry, but only because she was losing patience, son. She went through the same things we've all been through. I truly believe Bella was fated for this life, because she learned to control her thirst faster than any newborn I've ever seen."

"How did you get past the treaty? You changed her in Forks?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

Carlisle smiled, nodding. "I simply explained that they broke the treaty first, despite the fact that Jacob Black didn't really believe the legends he was spilling to Bella. We considered the matter...even."

Nodding in acceptance of that, I sighed, "She said she stopped asking about the visions of me. Why?"

"No idea. She would never say, and she was extremely careful around Alice about it," Carlisle replied, shrugging a shoulder.

I nodded again. "I'm sorry I distracted you. What did you want to see me about?"

"It's quite all right," Esme chuckled. "I imagine there are lots of questions you have for us."

"And you for me, I'm sure," I said with a smirk.

Carlisle laughed, but his thoughts turned to my diet. "I think it would be beneficial for you if you and Bella stayed here for awhile. Just to keep your thirst in check. There will be a point of...withdrawal, Edward. You'll need to feed a little more often than you're probably used to. I'd like the family here to help you, though Bella and Alice will be your best resources. Alice will see them coming, and Bella can shield you from acting...rashly."

"Okay," I conceded, "but I'm not sure how Bella will feel..."

"I'll talk to her," Esme offered, patting my hand and standing up. She brushed my hair from my forehead and dropped a kiss to it. "Bella likes her independence, but she's never denied this family anything we've asked of her. For you, she'll do it."

We were both quiet as she left us, shutting the door behind her softly. I turned my attention back to Carlisle. His thoughts were happy that Esme would now have all of her children under one roof. Obviously, it was something for which she'd been yearning. With a deep sigh, he opened a drawer of his desk and set an accordion folder down in front of me.

"I took the liberty of taking care of your finances and identity, son. I hope you don't mind," he stated, his brow furrowing. "Apparently, when you were living in London, you rented an apartment, assigning me as your next of kin. When you didn't return, they sent me your things."

I nodded and sighed, pulling the folder to me. "I was caught by the Volturi in London. They took me straight to Italy."

"I wish you'd have sent word to me," he groaned, shaking his head. "I could've stopped it all then, vouched for you. Aro has owed me for a century."

I chuckled humorlessly, shrugging a shoulder. "I was ashamed, Carlisle," I argued softly, giving the contents of the folder my attention instead of meeting his gaze, because there really was more to it. "I was wrong. I became judge, jury, and executioner. Perhaps I felt I needed the punishment. And it only perpetuated when I found myself unable to stop. The power to deal death is...heady. I don't want to play God anymore," I vowed to him in a whisper, meeting his gaze.

He nodded, his mind filled with sadness but understanding. "I had some identifications made for you. And all your belongings from your parents are in there," he said, pointing to the file. "I didn't want you to lose anything, Edward. Not to mention, you're fairly wealthy now. Eighty years of compounded interest helped."

I barked a laugh. "I'll try not to go on a spending spree. Living as a nomad...money isn't all that important."

"I imagine it isn't," he chuckled. "I can't see you spending it all...ever. Though, don't tell Alice your aversion to shopping. It'll break her heart."

My eyebrows raised at the mental picture he was showing me. I could see that the little thing took her shopping extremely seriously.

"Duly noted," I chuckled.

_She's a retail force all her own,_ he thought to me with a laugh. "You should hear her story, son. In fact, I'm pretty sure it would help you if you heard everyone's stories – especially Jasper's. He's overcome a great many things."

Listening to his mind, I could see that he wanted me to share, as well. "You think they don't trust me," I concluded.

"I know they trust me, and they're willing to give you a chance for Bella, but I'm not sure what they've been told about your situation," he countered. "Alice doesn't always give details, and Bella is extremely private..."

"And you haven't told them," I surmised with a nod as he shook his head no.

Carlisle sighed, his eyes warm with understanding. "It's your story to tell. There's not one of us that wouldn't have done the same thing, son. You had no choice. And I know Aro...he would have manipulated you for all eternity in order to keep you. Your ability, coupled with what he thought was the theft of you from me just made him all the more possessive. If you kept producing favorable results for him, he wouldn't have wanted to let you go. He may still want you...not to mention Bella. I'm well aware that he envies my family, Edward."

"Not envy," I countered with a shake of my head. "He's threatened by you. He doesn't understand it, and therefore, he wants to destroy it. Marcus doesn't care, and he most likely saw that I was never truly loyal to them. Caius...he just loves a conflict."

"Which is another reason you should explain yourself to the family," he told me. "I fear that we haven't heard the last of the Volturi."

I leaned forward, my hands gripping my hair. "I'm not a spy. I did what I had to do in order to survive, Carlisle. But I don't want to bring anything down on this family. I won't."

Carlisle chuckled, which caused me to snap my gaze back to his. "Oh, son... One thing that Aro is right about... My family is very, very powerful – my youngest being his biggest problem. I'd be willing to bet that Bella has barely shown you what she's capable of. I'm sure that's why he sent you for her." He grinned, shaking his head slowly. "I know you're not a spy. I trust Alice explicitly. She would've seen any ill will by now. But I also know _you_. You're my son, and I've always been able to tell when you're lying. You may don the mask for the Volturi, but not for me."

Grinning, I nodded, thankful that despite the many decades, he could still see right through me. "What do we do?" I asked, giving the door a longing look. I suddenly needed to see Bella, so badly that my skin actually felt like it was on fire, which caused my knee to start bouncing.

"We wait," he said simply, shrugging a shoulder. "Alice is always watching any decisions that come from Italy. In the meantime, we'll get you settled back in, back on the right diet, and back to Bella," he snickered, eying my fidgeting with an overabundance of amusement.

_She's perfect for you,_ he thought to me. _I always thought she would be, but I truly see it now._

"I fear I need her too much," I whispered, frowning down at my hands.

"Impossible," he stated, but switched to his thoughts. _Newly-mated__ couples require much more...time, touch, attention. I assure you, you aren't alone in this. Bella is feeling the same way._

"It makes me feel...unstable," I admitted.

_You and Bella are independent and head-strong. I promise you, she's feeling exactly the same way. Ask her._ He smiled kindly, his mind showing me memories of the beginning he and Esme had shared. _Every thought, decision, and action will now revolve around your mate, Edward. You are no longer alone._

"Go to her," he finally chuckled aloud, because my fidgeting only increased. "We'll have plenty of time to catch up. In fact, I wouldn't mind hunting with you."

"Okay," I said, smiling at his laugh and standing up.

Before I reached the door, he said, "And it's good to have you home, son."

Locking gazes with him, I nodded. "It's good to be back."

The house was empty and silent as I walked upstairs, except for the sounds coming from the third floor. I couldn't hear their thoughts, but I could definitely hear the laughter coming from Bella and Esme. The door was open to a rather large room that was currently disheveled. It seemed the room was being made over.

A pile of purple bed linens lay discarded on the floor by the door, along with matching curtains. The bed was now covered in reds and golds, and I chuckled at the girls as they hung red curtains from the floor to ceiling windows. Both were on stools as the sun glimmered off their skin, casting rainbows around the room.

What I used to think was the skin of a killer suddenly looked beautiful against dark brown hair, but Bella seemed to be changing a lot of the things I believed.

"You know, if you didn't have this door locked down tighter than Fort Knox, I'd help you," I chuckled, poking a finger at the invisible barrier that blocked the door.

Both women jumped, bursting into laughter, and the shield lifted. I walked in, dropping my folder from Carlisle onto the bed.

"Sorry, Edward," Bella chuckled, moving the stool over to hang the next section of curtain. "I was trying to spare you the ghastly girl talk. You wouldn't believe what Esme talks about."

"I'm sure I should thank you, but you wouldn't believe what Esme _thinks_ about," I teased, ducking the pop to my head from Esme.

"Hush," she scolded. "Just for that, you can hang this last one."

Laughing, I took the rod from her and secured it into the bracket.

"Show off," they both muttered.

I tsked dramatically, shrugging my shoulders. "If you two weren't built so low to the ground..."

Pillows from either side of the room flew at my head, and I ducked them both.

"Hey!"

Esme chuckled, giving me a wink as she gathered up the great big pile of purple. "Bella, did you want to... I mean, did you want me to save this?" she asked her, and it seemed to be a serious question that weighed heavily between them.

Bella was quiet, and I saw blurry flashes of that same comforter in what seemed to be a human memory, but she simply shook her head no. "No, Esme. It's time."

"Okay, sweetheart," she said with a nod, turning to me. "Edward, Alice has gone to get you some clothes. We'll get you settled in, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," I answered her, my brow wrinkling as she left us alone, her last thoughts reminding me that she still had my piano.

"Don't sweat it," Bella chuckled, her thoughts now gone. "Alice buys everyone's clothes. Even Carlisle's. The poor man hasn't seen the inside of a department store in forty years. He'd be lost in a Macy's, for sure."

From two floors down, Carlisle's laugh echoed up to us, along with, "You don't hear me complaining, though, do you?"

I chuckled at Bella's silly grin but turned my attention to the room. One long wall was nothing but shelves filled with books upon books, not to mention mementos and framed pictures. The opposite wall was all windows facing the woods, a window seat running the length of it, and from the third floor, it gave an amazing view of a lake not far away. The art on the wall was minimal, mostly classic nondescript oils. The furniture was older, a little more worn than what I was used to from Esme, but I had a feeling there was more to it.

"I don't use this room much," Bella said softly from her window seat.

"Carlisle wants us to stay here. Is that okay?" I asked, glancing over her book titles and noticing that some looked more loved than others, especially the classics.

"If it's what he wants...what you need, then yeah."

Unable to stay away from her any longer, I walked over, silently asking her to let me sit behind her. She leaned back against my chest, my legs on either side of hers. My anxiousness dissipated once my arms wrapped around her and my nose buried in her hair. A million and one questions for her flew through my mind, but only one popped out unexpectedly.

"So what was with all the purple?"

Bella chuckled, but it faded into a deep sigh, and something about that sounded sad to me. She glanced over the room, tracing her fingers up my arms to link them with mine.

"I moved in with my dad when I was seventeen..._human_ seventeen," she clarified. "I had never lived with him on a permanent basis, so he was nervous. He decided to decorate my room for me. Purple. I didn't care, really, but it meant a lot to me that he went to so much trouble, especially since he wasn't the hugging, 'I love you' type of dad. When I got hit by the van, Carlisle had to change me, but as the family hid me at the Cullen home, my dad had a heart attack."

Bella fell quiet for a moment, and I couldn't help but press kisses to the back of her head and squeeze her closer. It just seemed that she needed it.

With a deep breath, she continued. "Carlisle and the boys had to race against the system when Charlie died. They wanted me to have everything that he would've left to me, but they didn't want it to seem suspicious when items in the house disappeared or when my father's home was sold...or even when his finances suddenly vanished off the grid.

"Somehow, they did it. They've tried to explain how it was done, but I didn't – and still don't – care. Esme wanted to bring me some sort of comfort, so she raided my old room, practically setting up a bedroom identical to my human one. Everything in here was from my dad's. The purple became some sort of security thing to me. Don't ask why. I don't know. But Esme got it. They've been trying to get me to throw it out for years, but I wouldn't."

"Why now?"

She giggled, turning to nuzzle my jaw. "Well, this is your room now, too. I guess it was time to finally change it."

"We don't sleep, Isabella," I teased in a whisper right against her ear, smiling when she giggled again, a sound that made the seventeen-year-old inside of me beam with pride.

"I'm sure we'll figure out what to do with it," she laughed, shaking her head and turning a bit in my lap. "How'd it go with Carlisle?"

"Fine," I sighed, grimacing a bit. "He's worried that the Volturi may still want you...and me, for that matter."

She nodded like she'd assumed as much. "Alice will see them. And now that you're here, you'll hear them."

I nodded once, huffing a frustrated sigh. "He thinks the family doesn't trust me yet."

Bella laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, well, they'll learn. It's not like you can hide much around here. Jasper can feel deception. Alice will see every decision. Do you still plan on giving me up to Aro?" Her voice was filled with amusement as she raised a sexy ass eyebrow up at me.

I growled, long and low. "Fuck, no," I grunted, shaking my head that I was using that language in front of her; long years being surrounded by various monstrous personalities had changed my speech. She didn't seem to mind, though. "That would be like cutting out my own heart. I might as well set myself on fire at that point," I murmured, frowning down at our linked fingers. They meshed so well, I could barely tell which were hers and which were mine.

Bella's free hand cupped my face, forcing my gaze to hers. "Then don't worry about it. You'll prove yourself, and we'll protect us if the time ever comes."

I couldn't keep my mouth from hers if I'd tried, but I still had a ton of questions that seemed to be bubbling to the surface. I wanted to know everything about her, because she'd had the advantage of learning about me from Carlisle, Rose, and Esme. I was still damned ignorant when it came to her, though she was doing her best to let me in both verbally and mentally.

I lost myself in it all for just a moment – warm, soft lips, sweet, swirling tongues, and quiet moans against skin. When I finally came back to myself, I pressed my forehead to her temple, breathing in unnecessary gulps of air.

"Can I ask another question?" I muttered against her cheek.

She smiled, pulling back, and nodded. "Sure."

"How often did Alice have visions of me?" I asked her, trying to lead up to the question I truly wanted to ask.

"All the time," Bella answered, shrugging a shoulder. "They started when I was human. You'll have to ask her the details on some of them. Or Carlisle."

"Why didn't you want to hear?" It was the question that bothered me the most, and I wasn't sure why. It was like she'd given up at some point, or she just didn't want to know. But even Carlisle wanted to know the answer, because I could hear his mind downstairs freezing in wait of her reply.

Bella groaned, shaking her head and looking out over the forest. "It was very surreal, Edward, falling for a guy in a picture. It was stranger still finding out from my best friend that the same guy was supposed to be my mate. The word _mate_ doesn't make sense to a teenage human girl. It became...difficult to hear that you knew nothing about me, that we had to wait for you. I didn't want to know just how oblivious you were to the whole thing. I also didn't want to know if you were... I mean..."

"With someone else," I finished for her, my head falling back to the wall behind me.

"Yeah," she whispered with a slight nod of her head. "I just don't think I could've dealt with it. It was bad enough that the family was trying to get me to date, sending me to prom...all that stuff. And I never felt comfortable with any of it, because it felt wrong. It felt like cheating, which was strange. You, however, were free to make any choice you wanted. I couldn't bear to know what they were."

That made perfect sense, and it showed just how much she'd been through just...waiting.

"I tried once and failed," I whispered, gazing out over the woods as the sun settled slowly behind the trees. "It was a very long time ago."

"How long?" she asked, looking so very hurt, though she needn't worry; the experience was less than awful. It had been a failure before it even began.

"Nineteen fifty-four," I stated, shaking my head.

She snorted softly one time. "My mother wasn't even born yet."

I huffed a humorless laugh, shrugging a shoulder. "I regretted it instantly, but I wasn't sure at the time that it wasn't some sort of test for me. I've never felt this way about anyone. I was judged on it all the time, so I tried, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It always seemed wrong and just...animalistic." But that brought a whole new set of questions to mind. "What about you?"

She grimaced, her nose wrinkling adorably. "I tried one time," she said with a nod. "Same with me...I think I was testing myself. One date – prom – one kiss...I hated it."

"Human?" I asked, trying not to chuckle at the embarrassed look on her face, but she was too adorable.

"Yeah," she groaned, rolling her eyes. She smiled, letting out a breath. "I guess last night was a first for both of us."

I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her lips softly. "For the record, nothing was as amazing as last night. Nothing ever came close to that. It was..._everything. _And this," I stated, tugging her collar to the side to reveal my mark on her. "This certainly never happened with anyone else. Okay?" I leaned in to press my lips to it. It was slightly cooler than the rest of her skin, a thought that made me smile against it, kiss it again, and finally suckle it just enough to make her groan.

I knew I had more questions, but suddenly, they just seemed so unimportant. Bella was too close, smelling mouthwatering, her fingers threading in my hair to keep me right where she wanted me at the same time she shifted on my lap again. This time, she straddled my thighs, her mind opening to me.

_I want you, _she thought, growling low when I cupped her ass and rolled her over my instant erection. _I can't stop wanting you._ Her brow furrowed as she panted for unnecessary breaths while her strong fingers gripped my shoulders, and I could see that Carlisle was right, that Bella and I were both lost to this feeling, this pull between us. I didn't have to ask her, because I could see it all in her mind.

"Yes," I hissed, nodding and pulling back to press my forehead to hers. For the first time ever, I felt like the exact age I was frozen as – all hormonal seventeen, with the most beautiful girl in his arms and the "parents" had left us alone upstairs. "But I want to take my time with you," I told her, nipping at her lips, "and I don't think that's going to happen right this second." I groaned, my forehead hitting her shoulder.

"Why?" she asked, nuzzling my jaw, but she froze. "Alice."

"She's close and extremely loud, mentally," I sighed, pulling back to smirk up at Bella, who groaned and chuckled at the same time. "Right now, no matter what decision I make, she's countering it with...um, interruptions. She also sees that you have questions for me, but I knew that already. I was just waiting for you to ask them."

I grimaced when my girl surrendered with a deep sigh and sat back just a little. "Living with you two will be interesting... Let's just put that out there right now," she muttered, frowning down at her hands, which were playing with the buttons of my shirt.

Laughing, I cupped her face, making her look at me. "I'm sure it will be," I chuckled, leaning in to kiss her neck. "I promise you we'll pick up where we left off, but with Alice's visions coming my way, maybe it's a good idea to...I don't know...get to know everyone?" I rambled, not really sure what I meant. "If you have questions for me, then everyone else will, too."

"I know," she conceded, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. "Carlisle wants to sit down with all of us, doesn't he?"

Nodding, I said, "Yes. I _have _to answer to them, sweetheart. I have to answer to _you_. But we might as well do this with them all here. I need to answer for the things I've done, the life I've lived. I need to prove myself to you, to Carlisle, and to the rest of them. If I were in their place, I'd want to know about the person moving in. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," she said, switching to her thoughts. _I feel like I should protect you from this._

"Don't," I snickered, picking up her hand and kissing her palm. "Alice is assuring me that I'll live through it."

"How close are they?"

"They're turning in the driveway," I answered, but didn't bother to move us as the loud chaos started downstairs.

Alice and Rose came up the stairs with Jasper and Emmett in tow, every last one of them with their arms full.

"Really, Alice?" Bella asked, her mouth falling open.

"Don't judge me!" Alice countered. "You'll both need this stuff. There's hunting, school...not to mention how many articles of clothing you two will ruin all on your very own," she sang, wearing a hilarious smirk.

Bella and I stood up from the window seat, and she told the group, "Just drop it all on the bed. We'll deal with it later."

"School?" I murmured, wincing just a bit.

"Ah, don't sweat it, bro," Emmett chuckled after he'd set his armload down. "No one's rushing you...despite what Alice throws at you."

Of all the minds in the room – besides Bella's when it was open to me – Emmett's was as clear as a spring-fed river. His intentions, his feelings, and his opinions were right there on the surface from the minute Carlisle introduced us. He held absolutely no ill will toward me, and he was truly happy for Bella, because he thought the best part of his immortality was the mating, which caused me to hold back a chuckle. He was easy on the mind, but not stupid, because I could see he was testing me just a bit. He would protect his family, but he didn't think he really needed to.

"You're seventeen, Edward," Alice sighed, rolling her eyes up to me and shoving a pair of black Converse at me. "You have to dress the part, if only for Carlisle's and Esme's sakes."

"I'm over a hundred," I countered, just to hear her and Bella laugh.

"Yeah, well... Me, too," Alice huffed. "When you decide to go to school with us, which you will – I've already seen it – that long ass leather coat can't go with you. It's staying at Bella's apartment. You'll look like the kid that sells weed behind the gym at the last school we went to."

"Aaron," Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "That boy radiated deception."

If Emmett's mind was clear, then Jasper's was layered, detailed, and complex. I had been shocked at the sight of him, at the sight of so many scars on one single immortal. His thoughts were wary of me, but he hadn't made any judgment against me as of yet. Something in his past kept flashing to the forefront, only to get shoved back. However, he was feeding off of every emotion in the room – mine and Bella's lust that we hadn't quite tamped down, Emmett's amusement, Rose's curiosity, and Alice's excitement. He was pushing it all back out at us.

"That's subtle," I noted, shaking my head and locking eyes with him. "But...powerful."

"This is nothin'," he chuckled, shrugging a shoulder. "Spitfire over there was a hellacious newborn. Talk about mood swings."

He and I laughed when Bella flipped him off without even looking up from whatever it was that Alice and Rose were showing her across the room. From his thoughts, I could see his memory of teaching Bella to control not only her emotions, but her thirst, her strength, and finally, her shield later on down the line. He used his talent to keep her focused and calm, only to set her loose on Emmett just for laughs. But what I noticed most was that he was some sort of expert on newborns.

"She looked like it," I murmured, smirking over at him.

Jasper's eyes locked with mine. "You hear everything? Like Aro?"

"No. Just whatever is going through your mind at the moment," I told him, sighing wearily at the thought of Aro. "Aro needs to touch you. I don't. But he hears every thought you've ever had."

"You gonna tell us the whole story, Edward?" Rose piped up, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Rose!" Bella hissed, frowning up at her, which caused the whole room – thoughts and all – to come to a standstill.

"It's okay, love," I said to Bella, looking back to Rosalie. "Yes. I will."

Carlisle broke the tension, calling up from the living room. "Everyone downstairs, please."

Bags, boxes, clothes, and conversations were immediately dropped, and we all filed down to the living room to take various seats. Bella sat with me on the sofa next to Esme, Rose and Emmett resumed their earlier position on the loveseat, and Alice and Jasper curled up together on the chaise.

Our father took the chair, locking gazes with me, though he spoke aloud for everyone else's benefit. "Are you ready to do this now?"

"They should know," I answered him, spinning my gaze to Rose.

Rosalie Hale's thoughts had always been and always will be about Rosalie, though she was fiercely protective of the family and its secrets. She didn't like the unknown between us. She wanted to make sure I was truly back with the family, despite how much she trusted Carlisle.

"Well, you have the upper hand here, Edward," she huffed. "You know about us..."

"It doesn't work that way, and you know it," I growled, calming just a little when Bella's hand slipped into mine. Not even a whole day in the house, and Rose and I were already bickering; some things never changed.

A calm, mellow feeling enveloped the whole room, and my eyebrows shot up as I glanced over to Jasper. He smirked, shrugged, and thought to me, _Ignore Rosalie. I do._

I nodded, sighed, and turned back to Carlisle. "What have you told them?"

But it was Bella that answered softly from my side. "Everything up until you left."

Sighing, I sat forward, filtering out everyone's minds but Carlisle's and Bella's. I realized they were the only two that had at least a minimal idea of what I'd been through, since I'd had no choice but to ask Carlisle for help back at Bella's apartment. But they didn't know everything.

I decided to just start, and that caused an encouraging smile to flicker over Alice's face.

"I was caught in London in the early thirties," I stated. "Aro said he noticed that the papers were reporting a vigilante roaming the streets, taking out the most wanted men in Europe, so he sent a small team to investigate. He wasn't stupid, because he'd noticed that the same thing had happened in the States but had stopped, so he assumed that the person doing it had moved on. And he was right; it was all me. I'd found serial killers, rapists, and abusers from just about every major city and removed them."

I grimaced at how cold that sounded, but it was the truth.

"It got easier and easier once I learned to follow that line of thinking. Someone always knew them, whether they turned them in or not. A neighbor suspected something was strange about the guy next door. A wife wouldn't admit aloud that her husband disappeared in the middle of the night. A coworker was uneasy around the guy that worked at the far back desk. A child was too scared to say that their teacher was mean. I just had to...listen." I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head. "It became...addicting. I felt I was doing the world some sort of good. I felt like a god when I would wander big cities. I read the most wanted lists and started hunting.

"Just out of simple curiosity, I was following the old Jack the Ripper case in London. He was someone important...I'm damned sure of it. A politician, a member of Parliament, _something. _Otherwise, he would have been caught back in eighteen eighty-eight. He was sloppy."

My head shot up to Emmett. I had to smile at his thoughts, because he wanted to know if I'd ever missed out on some famous names.

"Yes," I told him. "Plenty. Aro wouldn't always let me go. I really wanted to find John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy, and I got to Jim Jones too late. However, the BTK killer would have posed a challenge. I saw he turned himself in decades later."

Emmett grinned and nodded. "Sorry, dude. Ignore me."

Chuckling, I nodded and went on. "Apparently, Aro likes having criminals out there. It makes hiding his people's hunting habits easier, so I messed with that. I heard them coming, but it was too late. Demetri is a tracker, and once he's locked onto you, there's no escaping. My mind is quick, but his was quicker. They gave me a choice: die there in the streets of London, or see Aro for judgment. I chose the latter."

I gazed down at the floor. "I always thought that what we are was unnatural and that I would welcome death if it ever presented itself, but the need to survive is...instinctual. Self-preservation is something that kicks in, especially if you're kneeling on the stone floor in front of the Volturi with two immortals poised to rip you apart. What saved me was that I actually answered Aro's mental questions out loud. He stopped and walked to me, finally touching me. He saw everything," I said with a grimace, looking to Carlisle. "I'm sorry."

_No need to apologize to me, son. I'm well aware of how his powers work,_ he thought to me, but to the room, he just waved the apology away, saying, "Go on, Edward. It's okay."

"I know, but I know he's been watching you ever since. I'm just...sorry," I sighed, running another hand through my hair before I continued. "At that point, Aro stated that I was too talented to be removed, so he offered me a position among his ranks." I huffed a humorless laugh and rubbed my face. "Let me clarify... For the immortals in the chamber around us, he offered me a position. For me alone, he mentally said that if I didn't stay, he'd kill me anyway and then he'd investigate what Carlisle was doing, because he hadn't asked for approval before enlarging the size of his coven...meaning turning me, Esme, and Rose...and Carlisle's diet was too strange not to go unchallenged."

"Edward," Esme gasped, her mouth hanging open just a bit.

"Damn, son..." Carlisle groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, a gesture of stress and frustration that I hadn't seen from him since the year that Rose was changed.

Bella's hand slipped into mine, but she remained silent, though her thoughts were as clear as a glass of water. _You stayed to protect him,_ she surmised, and I nodded.

"I stayed to stay alive. I had to wait, Bella. If I died, then Carlisle would have no warning. And I wasn't given much time to make a decision. I chose to stay," I told her, though I was well aware it was for everyone in the room. Turning back to the rest of them, I went on. "For the first few years, Aro used me like a remote control, touching me while he listened to everyone else in the room. I was his prized possession. I made life easier for him, but the things I saw..." My head fell to my hands, my fingers gripping my hair. "I absolutely refused to feed at the castle. He knew it, too, tempting me left and right, but I would refrain until I was given leave, because it was all so cruel, the way they treated the humans like cattle, toying with them, teasing them, torturing them. It was innocent women and children, honest working men, and they were usually brought in by the droves. They disguised it under tour groups, or during the Second World War, they would hijack trains bound for concentration camps. That was just..."

I stopped, shaking my head at just how brilliantly devious the three brothers could be. They would use the world's evil to their advantage.

"I was not allowed to leave the city alone for the first decade. When I hunted, I had a babysitter of sorts...big giant of a man – Felix. We actually became friends. He liked hunting the way I did it, but he couldn't do it without me, because his only talent was pure, boulder-crushing strength. I gained his trust, which eventually gained the trust of the three brothers, though Caius and I never really saw eye to eye. It took twenty years to get that far. He would insist that I was not to be trusted, but Aro wouldn't listen to him. And whatever Aro wanted, his brothers conceded.

"It wasn't until I stopped Aro from killing an immortal girl that he saw what I could really do for him. Heidi was talented, even though she didn't know it. She could draw people in, something that Marcus found intriguing. I could see her working it against the guards that were holding her. She'd done nothing wrong to warrant death; it was her sire's fault. He was teaching her to hunt wherever and whenever she felt like it. He was discarded immediately, but Aro had found a new pet that could draw in the humans, and I was then sent out to find more talents. It's what I did for them for sixty years."

I snorted, but looked over at Carlisle. "His guard is laced with talent. Talent that _I _brought him. Another tracker, James. He's a little rogue, but he's given anything he wants in order to keep him happy. Jane, who looks younger than Alice, but her power is intense. She's mean, which Aro adores, but she can inflict pain...you think you're burning from the inside out. Aro loved her so much that he sent me back to where I'd found her to take her twin brother, Alec, so he could turn him. His power is disarming; it's this slow moving mist or fog, causing his victims to become disoriented, blind, deaf. They only use him on special occasions. There's Renata, a shield, but nowhere near Bella," I said, turning to look at her. "She has to touch Aro in order to protect him."

"How did you get them to go with you?" Bella asked, but the real question was just under the surface. She wanted to know how I'd planned on taking her if I'd decided that my freedom was more important than she was.

"It was easier than you'd think. When you offer an immortal lots of power, the opportunity to feed whenever they want, and a chance to use their talent, they come willingly. For those that didn't, the brothers manipulated them into service...like me."

"Why didn't you run?" Esme's voice was soft as she posed the same question Bella had.

"There was no running. Aro's trackers would have found me. He would've given them strict instructions to destroy me," I explained. "With every talent I brought him, Aro would mentally show me where Carlisle was. He kept tabs on you through his many contacts. You may trust others, but when it comes to the Volturi, some people will cave under threats and manipulation. And even if they didn't willingly tell him, all Aro had to do was touch them."

"Which brings us to Bella," Jasper said softly.

"Right," I sighed, nodding slowly. "The last time I was called to the main chamber, Aro offered me an out. He knew I stayed gone longer and longer just to be away from Italy, and I'd tried more than once to negotiate my leave. He told me of this talent that he wanted above all others," I said, looking over at Bella. "He said that if I brought him this talent, my contract would be terminated – the contract that was only between the two of us. When I asked for the details, he told me that Carlisle had powerful immortals with him now, that Isabella Swan was his newest acquisition, and he wanted her. He didn't even tell me what the talent was, but he just knew it was big. By this time, he'd learned to block me, so I had no idea what she was capable of. I agreed to come to the States, because I didn't know her and because I was desperate. I was supposed to offer her everything I'd offered all of them, but once I found the family, I hesitated. Despite my leaving, I held no ill will to Carlisle, but I desperately wanted out from under the Volturi. It wasn't until I actually caught a glimpse of Bella that my determination flew out the damn window."

Bella giggled, and Carlisle chuckled low, but Alice sat forward.

"That's why!" she gasped. "That's why we had to wait for you! It needed to be the right time. The _safest _time for you to get away!"

"I suppose," I sighed, shrugging a shoulder. "If your visions work the way I think they do, you would've never seen me make an actual decision, because I didn't have a set plan on how to approach any of it."

"You never made _any_ decisions when it came to coming home," she countered, smiling proudly that she'd been correct the whole time.

"I tried not to think about home at all," I murmured, frowning down at my shoes. "I never meant for any of it to happen, but I did my damnedest to make sure nothing fell on Carlisle. It wasn't his fault."

"You could've called, written...anything," Rose countered, wondering if all hell would fall down upon the family now that I was back.

"No, he couldn't have," Jasper piped up softly, shaking his head, "because Aro would've seen it. The entire conversation would've been right there in Edward's head."

"Exactly," Carlisle sighed, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His mind was in awe that I'd been loyal to him the whole time, that I'd done things I normally wouldn't have done just to stay alive. "I'm proud of you, son. I'm sure when I say I know it wasn't easy will be an understatement, but..."

"I was a killer, Carlisle," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I played God, I decided someone's fate, and I threw away everything you ever tried to teach me."

"No, you didn't," he argued. "You protected the innocent when those around you didn't care, and you protected this family, even when you didn't know who the members were."

"We're all killers in this room," Jasper murmured in addition. "Except for Carlisle. We've all done things that will take lifetimes of penitent behavior to make up for them."

Of all the minds in the room, it wasn't Jasper's acceptance I was expecting to come unabated and with a calm demeanor, but it did. Bella accepted me, loved me...no matter what, I could practically feel it wrapping itself around me as she sat quietly, rubbing her thumb over my knuckles. Esme wouldn't have cared if I had blown up a school bus as long as I was home and was sorry about it. And Carlisle was currently wondering if there was indeed going to be a problem from Aro in the future.

But Jasper's mind opened up to me, silently telling me his story, because he didn't want to upset Alice or Esme with it. I saw a war...the Civil War...which caused my eyebrows to shoot up. I saw his change, his sire – a woman I recognized – and I saw his talent used against hundreds upon hundreds of newborns. He'd trained them for the Southern Wars, ending them when they were no longer useful. I also saw the most beautiful connection between two mates I'd ever seen as he showed me when he met Alice for the first time after his freedom from the South.

"That was you?" I asked, my brow furrowing. "You were in the Southern Wars?"

"Yeah," he sighed with a nod. "My talent was used to keep the newborns...submissive. I was Maria's right hand."

I nodded, thinking that explained all the scarring on his arms and neck. I could well imagine that he was covered in them. It also explained his feelings of respect and acceptance that I was getting from him, because he knew what it was like to be a pawn, to be used to do things that went against not only our human upbringing, but our beliefs, as well.

"You should know..." I started, locking eyes with him. "She's...no more. The Volturi ended her just over a decade ago. I was there." An enormous sense of relief and a touch of joy spread throughout the room, and I smiled at him, saying, "She tried to start rebuilding, but she was causing too much of a spectacle, so we had to destroy them all. I was sent to find any talents that may have cropped up. It's where I found James."

Jasper nodded once but said no more on the subject, opting to link his fingers with Alice's.

Grinning, I shook my head, waiting for Emmett to say what he was thinking.

"So not fair," he huffed like a pouting child, folding his enormous arms across his chest. "Volturi Guards...Southern Wars... All I did was get attacked by a damn bear. So boring."

The room broke into laughter, and despite how everyone thought that Emmett only had strength as a talent, I was beginning to think he had much more to him than that. It seemed he knew just the right time to break the tension in a room...or maybe that was something that just came naturally to him, something that had carried over from his human life. I wasn't sure.

Rose leaned over, whispering things in his ear that despite how softly she did it, I still heard in her mind. Gone was the angry blonde, and in her place was a mated woman that knew just how to get Emmett's attention. It was sexually explicit, almost vulgar, and everything I'd never wanted to know about the two of them.

"Ugh, stop!" I growled, holding my head in my hands, which only caused more laughter to explode into the room. I felt Bella's arm around me as she laughed, but I also felt a hand grip my shoulder.

I looked to see Carlisle standing there, wearing an overly amused expression.

"Like I said... Welcome home, son," he chuckled.

But it was Emmett that seemed to say what everyone else was thinking, "Yeah, he's gonna fit in _just fine_."

Bella sat forward, kissing my cheek, thinking only to me, _Yeah...you'll be just fine._

**A/N...Aro has always seemed like a nasty piece of work to me, so I could well imagine that he hated what did not understand. He also seemed like a spoiled child, stealing what he wanted, no matter who it affected.**

**There you have Edward's story. There are more steps to his meshing with the family. As you can already tell, he's most comfortable with Esme and Bella...and of course, Carlisle. The rest will come. For those of you that are use to my snarky, though happy Roses...this isn't her. This is a touch more canon. **

**Big hugs and mooches to JenRar for beta'ing this. And to GooberLou for pre-reading. I sort of forced this fic on them, begging for guidance, because this is a different Vamp-ward than I'm used to writing. :) **

**Like I said before, there's no set schedule to this fic. I am trying for once a week, and I really can't see it going longer than that between postings. Honestly. **

**Reviews are fantastic, almost as good as sitting on Fateward's lap to kiss him. Nah...not really, but I'll take what I can get. Until next time... Mooches. :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N... Let me answer a question for you guys... Some of you are concerned with Edward's little tryst-that-went-nowhere. Don't be. It's not worth it. Did Bella go to prom with/kiss Mike? Most likely. Neither one of their experiences were big enough to register on the relationship radar. I really didn't want to delve into "a kiss that might've been" with Edward. He didn't do anything with anyone...and NO it wasn't Tanya, that cow. He thought about it, but it never happened.**

**Okay, so time moves ahead a bit...a few weeks. So let's see how our Edward is managing...well, everything. And it's all Bella's POV this time... Enjoy. ;)**

**~oooOOOooo~**

Chapter 4

**BPOV**

"Son of a bitch!" Edward snarled under his breath, his fists opening and closing over and over, but his breathing had stopped.

Alice and I were on either side of him instantly.

"You can't, Edward. He's a father, a husband...a _good one_," Alice whispered to him at top speed. "Look. See?" she asked, showing him whatever her visions were telling her.

He shook his head furiously. The low growl rumbling from him could merely be felt, not heard – something I was grateful for as we stood against the wall of the building. Carlisle had suggested Edward test himself every now and then, because he knew that the yearning for human blood would cause a sort of withdrawal in his son. He urged Edward to rebuild resistance by occasionally venturing out in public. So we were currently wandering a small street flea market in upstate New York on a rather cloudy day.

"Tell me," I commanded, tipping his chin to look at me. "I can bind you to me. Make it go away."

His eyes were fierce, black, hungry, despite the fact that he'd fed the day before – several deer and a few coyote. His normally warm, sultry red eyes hadn't yet started to show the diet he'd been working so hard to change the last few weeks. Carlisle said that would take month or two. So far, Edward had resisted most of the temptations, but occasionally, he struggled...like right then. Sometimes, it was due to the alluring smell of the human, and other times, it was dreadful thoughts that he wouldn't even repeat.

"You shouldn't have to," he grumbled, squeezing his eyes closed as the human in question moved on farther into the crowd. "But he was..."

"Staring?" Alice giggled, and I rolled my eyes at the two of them.

They had become thick as thieves – all mentally, of course. The two of them liked to have the most bizarre conversations the household had ever seen. It drove Jasper and me crazy, not to mention Emmett, who was way too nosy for his own good. Alice relished having a brother she could really relate to, and Edward had taken to the role very seriously. It was a rather adorable kinship. They tested each other's mental capabilities, played with visions, and that was the way Edward had learned about Alice's past – well, about what past she could remember. She only remembered waking up immortal and having two visions – one of meeting Jasper and the other of seeking out Carlisle. That little bit of info intrigued Edward to no end.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Staring at us does not put him on _America's Most Wanted_, Edward," I grumbled. "It merely makes him a creepy old man that likes staring at young women. He's no different than any other member of the male species. Let it go."

Without giving Edward a choice, I shielded him from it all.

"Bella, no," he complained. "I _need_ to do this. I _can_ do this."

Rosalie had been so right in describing Edward as tenacious and a perfectionist, because he truly was both of those things, which made him hard-headed as hell, but I feared he pushed himself too hard at times.

At my thoughts, he grinned and shrugged. "She said that?" he asked, taking my hand, but I merely snorted and smirked at him, daring him to argue. Edward sighed, his body relaxing infinitesimally. "The things he was thinking..."

"Were they really all that different than say..." I glanced around the market, my eyes locking with a boy in his late teens, who was gazing at me with a glazed-over look in his eye. "That guy? Or how about the guy over there at the vegetable stand that looks like he wishes he was Superman and could see through Alice's jeans with x-ray vision? Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "That would be no, right?"

Alice snorted into a laugh, giving Edward a side glance. "I'll go find the others," she chuckled, giving me a wink before disappearing into the crowd in search of the rest of the family.

I stepped up onto the sidewalk, stopping in front of him. "And really, let's be fair about this. Care to share just how many _women_ are thinking about you..._right now_?" I asked him, folding my arms across my chest, because I was well aware of several women eye-fucking him as he stood in front of me. It made me murderous, but I had to maintain, simply for the fact that Carlisle would kill me if I just decided to pop the girl behind Edward in the mouth for drooling over his ass in the jeans he was currently sporting.

"Nope, can't," he chuckled, mocking my stance by folding his own arms across his chest. "You're shielding that, thankfully."

"How about before I did, smart guy?" I laughed, tilting my head at him while I watched his eyes mellow back out into the red I'd sort of come to love. They gave him an edge of dangerous sexiness that I hadn't expected to find attractive; then again, there wasn't much about Edward that wasn't attractive.

He grinned at my loss of focus, all lopsided and deadly, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip. Suddenly, I found myself tugged into the closest, darkest alleyway, with a very amorous Edward looming over me, around me, against me. I was surrounded by him – his intense stare, his amazing scent, and his strong arms.

"I can't help it, Bella," he growled sexily, pressing his forehead to mine. "It's all new and too much. Carlisle says the possessive feelings don't go away, but we'll find away to manage them. For now, though...no man looks at what's _mine_..."

The purr I let loose came unhindered and without shame. This was mate claiming mate. It was a dance we'd been doing since the beginning, since I'd found him on the rooftop across from my apartment in the city. It was the push and pull that we couldn't seem to resist, nor did we have any inclination to try. We'd driven the house into a lust-filled frenzy on more than one occasion – several occasions, actually – because poor Jasper couldn't help but push all that Edward and I were emitting back out to everyone else. Emmett loved us for it, and Rose didn't really complain, either, but Alice had become really good at foreseeing it, so she'd started to give fair warning, getting us or everyone else out of the house before we exploded. However, Carlisle saw it as intriguing, wondering if it was just because we were newly-mated or because Edward and I were frozen at a sexually-charged and hormonally-driven seventeen. My theory was that it was both, plus the fact that we were absolutely, stupidly, and happily head-over-heels for each other. We were stubborn and argumentative, cheesy and insatiable, daring and carefree, but we were also extremely protective of what we'd found, keeping certain aspects of our relationship close and secret. I was pretty sure that went back to how long we'd waited for each other – Edward longer than me, obviously.

"Bella," Edward rumbled in my ear, his voice husky and pure, rich velvet ghosting across my neck as my fingers slid up his stomach and around his shoulders, only to wrap myself around him, making me wish I could crawl inside of him.

My arms and legs gripped him as he pressed me forcefully into the wall behind me. "More," I begged when his lips, tongue, and teeth teased the sensitive skin behind my ear.

I could barely see straight when his mouth was on my flesh, his hands on my ass, and his chest pressed to mine, but my moan couldn't be held back when he rolled his hips against me, denim sliding roughly against denim. He was hard, straining against the front of his jeans, and he was hitting me exactly where I needed him – where I always needed him. It was an ache that never really went away, much like the burn in our throats.

Feeling his smile against my neck, I tugged on his hair to pull his face to mine. I whimpered when our lips met, because he kissed like he made love – deep, heated, and mind blowing. Sometimes, he was forceful, feral, and sometimes, he savored every single inch of me, making me feel so cherished that I wished I could shed real tears, but every time, he gave me all of himself – heart, body, soul. At that moment, he was slow, languid, thorough...possessive. Leaving one hand on my bottom, the other traveled slowly up my t-shirt, palming my breast.

_Jesus, Edward, we have to stop_, I thought to him, my breathing heavy as he broke away from me, but his thumb bushed over my peaked nipple, making me moan softly.

"Lift your shield, love. I'll hear them coming for us," he whispered, his eyes flickering between my mouth and what his hand was doing underneath my shirt, which was trying to tug down the bra cup in order to feel skin on skin.

I giggled, because I couldn't help it. "No!" I protested, lifting my shield. "Not the family, handsome." I chuckled, nudging his jaw with my nose for him to see the few humans that were casting curious or amused glances our way as they passed the alley. "Look."

"I don't have to," he said with a sexy smirk, his eyes dark with want, tinged with heated red. "They merely think we're young, unsupervised, and in love, Bella. All true...except for the young part. Though, the family is trying really, _really_ hard not to disturb us. They're not far."

I sighed, cupping his face and getting lost at just how surreal it was to touch him after dreaming of him for so long. I still wasn't sure it was real, a thought that earned me a brief kiss.

"Come on, then," I said, wriggling down from his embrace, though he kept me close. "I don't care what Carlisle says. That's enough testing you today."

We both smiled at our father's amused chuckle that met our ears. He wasn't far but was respectfully giving us a moment, most likely holding back my brothers. We'd talked to him about managing ourselves, Edward's thirst, and the family. It was all very overwhelming. What I was grateful for was that Carlisle wasn't pushing, just guiding and suggesting.

"Okay," Edward conceded, "but I really do need to get this under control, Bella."

"But it won't happen all at one time, baby," I argued with a sigh, that term of endearment making him smile, because he said it made him forget he was old. "Just...allow yourself time. Would you have taken that man? Really?"

He paused, stepping back from me and running hand through his hair. He stared down at the ground, shoving both hands into his front pockets.

He winced, letting out a defeated sound. "I don't know. Maybe?" He shrugged a shoulder. "Not because he was particularly _evil_," he huffed, frowning a bit, "but in protection of you. His thoughts were vile."

"I'm sure," I allowed, "but thoughts aren't illegal. I don't need protection from a human, Edward. I've dealt with worse at school. I know that you may feel differently and you can't help but hear them, but people should be able to think what they want without being judged on errant lapses of reason."

Edward pursed his lips just a little, looking away from me and out toward the street. "You just negated the last eighty years of my life."

Chuckling, I stepped closer to him. "I did no such thing. You eradicated true monsters from this world, which probably saved the lives of many innocent people. Whether that was your place or not is a debate you can have with Carlisle, but not with me. I don't want to philosophize with you...I wouldn't be good at it, because I'm blinded by my love for you. However, the average person can think, daydream, or fantasize all they want...about _anything_ they want. The monsters you removed are the ones that didn't know the difference between their fantasies and their desires to bring them to fruition."

"Are you condoning my former...lifestyle, Bella?" he asked softly, reaching for my hand and guiding me out of the alley.

"Nope, but I'm not condemning you for it, either," I whispered back. "It's simply...a part of what makes you...well, you. Would you go back to it?"

"Would you come with me?" he countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, no," I murmured, scrunching up my nose and shaking my head. "I mean, I'd rather not, but I'd have to follow you..." I rambled uncomfortably, because we couldn't be separated, but I'd never want to change the way that I fed.

"Then, no," he said, grinning sweetly and pressing his lips to my temple. He leaned down to my ear, nipping at my earlobe. "But I don't have to like it when someone _covets_ what's mine, Bella. That may never change." He chuckled at the laugh that escaped me, tucking me to his side. "Come, love...before they leave us."

~oooOOOooo~

The house was quiet except for the sound of the pouring Spring rain, the ticking of the clock in the living room – well, every room, really – and the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. My brothers and sisters were off on a hunt, and Carlisle was at the hospital, which left Edward, Esme, and myself in the house alone.

This fact alone made Edward more at ease. He didn't say it, but I could tell that he was most comfortable with the two of us. After years of being alone, I was pretty sure it was overwhelming to be in a house full of immortals, most of whom acted like the young ages in which we were frozen; music, laughter, video games, arguments, and teasing were a constant din of noise some days. Other days, couples holed themselves up in their rooms, trying their best to give each other privacy, something that was limited in our house.

Edward liked his hunts with Carlisle, which I found out was something they'd done from the beginning. It gave them a chance to talk things out a little without having the peanut gallery around for verbal commentary. But I really think that Carlisle just loved having his "oldest" son home. As much as Carlisle loved us all, it was quite obvious there was a special bond between the two of them. We'd started teasing him about favoritism.

It had been two weeks since the street flea market, and Edward's withdrawals had calmed down, but he still struggled. The sense of smell was starting to become the issue. He craved human blood, as much as he didn't want to admit it, and I felt for him, because once the pure liquid gold had been tasted, nothing else would do. I'd gone through the same thing, and I'd only killed one man, so I couldn't imagine having to change my way of thinking, my reaction to urges after eighty years and countless humans.

That was where Jasper came in – and Emmett, too, simply to help his new brother out. Emmett had a way of breaking Edward's tension, but Jasper's talent and his long life's experience made him a much more reliable help.

But the last time we'd gone out in public, Edward had really lost it. There had been a recent kidnapping of a small boy in the local newspapers, a current event we couldn't help but watch because it was constantly on the news, not to mention the posters tacked up everywhere. We were in a shopping mall in Albany when Edward latched on to a mind that required all of us to restrain him. Apparently, that particular mall didn't do proper background checks or the guy had never been caught, but the security guard was Edward's primary target. Only with my shield, Jasper's calm demeanor, and Carlisle's promise to get the guy did Edward allow us to remove him from the building. And even that had demanded force. He'd been black-eyed, vengeful, and just all kinds of distractingly beautiful as he growled to us that the kidnapped little boy was still alive.

I was giving Edward space, which meant from my mind, too, because he'd been in a sullen mood since we'd returned from the mall. And until Carlisle came home with some sort of news about the kidnapped child, he would most likely remain in a foul mood. Edward couldn't help how deeply ingrained his former means of hunting was, but I hated to see him upset. If Carlisle said he'd catch the guy – the right way – then he'd meant it.

I wandered into Esme's private library, hoping to find something I hadn't read a hundred times. I came to a stop, giving the piano a long, slow gaze. It was the one thing in the house Esme wouldn't allow anyone to touch, so most of them barely acknowledged its presence, but I did. Often. When I'd first learned about Edward, I'd come into Esme's sitting room just to look at it. It was a beautiful and expensive black baby grand. Sometimes, she'd raise the top, like it was then, and sometimes, she'd close it, but she'd confessed to me that over the decades, she'd kept it tuned for him. "Just in case," she would whisper, with a squeeze to my shoulder and a kiss to my head.

He knew it was here, but he hadn't laid as much as a finger on it since he'd been in the house.

I could hear Edward's pacing upstairs in my room – like a lion in a cage – so I grabbed a book and fell down onto the sofa next to the window. The words on the page were meaningless, because the random trails of rainwater on the glass caught my attention. Lightning flickered through the sky, followed by a low rumble of thunder. It was that sort of weather that made me miss Forks, made me miss my dad.

Despite his silent entry, I knew when Edward entered the room. I could feel it in my chest, throughout my entire body, really, but his scent of wildflowers in the sun was uniquely his, which caused me to inhale deeply, relishing the soothing, settling feeling it brought at the same time it made every nerve I had stand at raw, alerted attention.

"You don't have to hide from me, you know," he said, kneeling by my side. His voice was soft and a touch tentative.

"I wasn't hiding," I snickered, locking gazes with warm and sweet red that was trying its damnedest to morph into an orange-ish color, though still a touch troubled.

"What were you thinking about just now?" he asked, tilting his head just a little to the left. "Your face was so...sad." He trailed a finger down my face and across my jaw, finally gliding over my bottom lip.

"My dad," I admitted, pulling and tugging at him until he crawled up onto the sofa with me, laying his head on my chest, his stomach between my legs. "This weather reminds me of him. Of Forks," I murmured, running my fingers through Edward's unruly locks.

"Are you sorry that Carlisle changed you?"

The question certainly surprised me, but I wasn't sure I knew the answer to it until that very moment. "No."

His head shot up, and he studied my face, not saying anything as he braced himself up on his elbows in order brush my hair with long sweeps of his fingers.

"But you lost so much..." he started to argue, yet he didn't finish.

"But I gained even more." I stared back out the water-beaded window, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I'm not sure I've always felt that way, but with time comes perspective. Charlie would've died anyway, whether I was there for him or not. Carlisle said his heart was weak, his arteries in poor shape. If I'd have been human when he died, I would've been shipped back to my mother. No Alice, no Carlisle and Esme, no big noisy family...and no you." I shrugged a shoulder, meeting his gaze again. "I really would've lost my choices. At least in this family, I feel...normal – definitely more normal than I did when I was human. I fit in here."

"I'm pretty sure Carlisle would've found a way to keep you anyway," Edward chuckled softly, shaking his head. "If not Esme."

"Maybe." I smiled, tracing his eyebrow, down his cheek, and along his jaw line. "Why do you ask?"

He didn't answer; he merely laid his head back down on my chest, his large hand splayed out over my rib cage like he needed to touch as much of me as he could. I pressed kisses to the top of his head, following his gaze to the piano. I still kept my mind closed to him, because it seemed he needed the solace, the quiet, and he hadn't complained so far.

"When I was changed, I was so...confused," he started, his thumb softly rubbing circles on my stomach over and over. "Carlisle said my mother begged him to save me just before she died, but for years, I wondered if she knew what he was or if she was just...praying aloud to God and Carlisle happened to hear her. I've seen his memory of it, and I can't tell. Or maybe I'm just trying to force my own interpretation on what I see."

Leaving my lips against his hair, I rubbed his back, much like the way he was holding onto me: spread fingers, little movement, but as much touching as I could get. I knew this story – I'd begged Carlisle for any information about Edward he'd tell me – but I hadn't heard it from Edward's view. Carlisle was convinced that Elizabeth Masen saw through his human facade at the end of her days.

"I was raised to believe in God, that what Carlisle had turned me into was something straight from hell. I hated it, fought it, but the only thing that kept me from trying to destroy myself was that one simple thought that my mother may have known the truth," he gushed, but his voice was barely above a whisper. "The angry side of me wanted her to see what she'd done, see what she'd condemned me to, but the other side of me – the little bit of my human side that's still left – wanted to make her proud."

My brow furrowed and I squeezed him closer, but I stayed quiet. It seemed he needed to get this out, like it had been building since he stepped foot in the house. I wanted to argue with him, tell him that any mother would be proud of the man in my arms. He was brave and strong, following a path that he thought was right. He was smart and noble, wanting to rid the world of its evil, despite the fact that he thought himself to be just as wicked. And he was honorable, because even though he'd made many mistakes, he was willing to own them, face whatever came his way because of them. I couldn't see how any parent wouldn't be proud to call him son.

"I accused Carlisle of shredding my soul, of destroying it," he continued, and I could hear the shame in his tone, "which is utterly ridiculous, because to look at him, to see him work, anyone can see just how amazing his soul is. And then there's you," he said, sitting up at bit in order to look me in the eyes. "There's no way on Earth your soul is destroyed. None. I see it radiate out around you. So damn beautiful," he muttered, shaking his head. "I don't know what to believe anymore. I've seen heinous things, participated in them. I've committed every sin in the Bible – vanity, gluttony, greed, pride, lust, slothfulness... and definitely wrath."

"Lust?" I teased with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, Bella," he chuckled darkly. "You really have no idea," he told me, nipping at my lips softly. "I've seen it all in others' minds, but never truly experienced it...until you."

"I think lust between two people that love each other isn't a sin. It's a beautiful thing." I smiled at his soft laugh, kissing him again. "If you were raised to believe in God, then surely you understand that all you need is forgiveness and to change your ways, Edward. It's faith in yourself, your own forgiveness that will set you free. You don't have to believe in anything, but if it brings you comfort, then you need to let go the past and move on."

My views on religion were limited to a few years in Sunday school. My mother had tried them all, including Buddhism, Taoism, and Scientology, but after I was older, I'd stopped going with her. It all depended on her mood and just what was going on in her life at the time. However, long, in-depth talks with Carlisle had taught me that while all religions were different, their core element could be considered similar – that there was a higher power and that all creations were worthy of love and acceptance. Carlisle seemed to live by the Golden Rule: Treat others how you'd want to be treated. It was very simple for him and probably why he was such an amazing doctor.

"How can I do that when I still feel the need to..."

"Protect the innocent?" I finished for him, and he nodded slowly. "You can still do that, you know. You just can't exact your type of justice. The guy at the mall has to answer to God for his own sins, Edward."

"That's what Carlisle said," he sighed.

"Yeah, I can imagine he did," I chuckled. "He's a doctor, so his whole existence has been about saving lives, not taking them, no matter what they've done to deserve it. No one is perfect. We're all evil by your definition, because we've all broken the seven deadly sins. We can only make amends and try to do better next time."

I cupped his handsome face, trying to wipe the sadness and tension from it. He looked lost, confused, like he couldn't decide whether to bolt from the room or kiss me senseless. He looked every bit his frozen seventeen – unsure, sweet, and anxious. Lying just under the surface was the fierce predator that wanted to find the mall's security guard and eradicate him. Edward's pure power vibrated underneath his skin, like a humming electrical line, but his tender touches were all for me. But gazing up at him right then, I could see the boy that Elizabeth Masen had spent her dying breath pleading for.

"I think your mother loved you so much that she was willing to beg anyone that would listen in order to save her son. It just happened to fall upon the ears of someone that could actually _do_ something about it. She wanted her beautiful boy to _live_, in whatever capacity that may be. She wanted him to continue on without her, to find things that made him happy, to see the world, to laugh, to make friends, to fall in love, to do his best with the opportunity that was given him."

"Esme agrees with you," Edward whispered, his brow furrowing as his eyes flickered toward the door for a second.

"I just bet she does," I laughed once. "She told me those same things when Charlie died."

"Did it help?" he asked, slipping his arms underneath me in order to hold my shoulders. Pressing his forehead to mine – which I'd discovered was his way of grounding himself – he dropped sweet, barely-there kisses to my lips.

"Not at first," I answered softly and honestly. "I was a newborn, so nothing calmed me, and Charlie's death made me feel very...guilty. It was a long time before I could really listen to the family. But I knew I had to make a choice: stay angry, or grow the hell up...or as Rose puts it, 'Put my big girl panties on and deal.'"

The grin that spread over his face was beautiful; even better was the slight chuckle that shook us both. "It seems you've done just fine," he snickered, shaking his head. "I don't know about the panties part."

I giggled at the word "panties" coming from him, but I shrugged a shoulder. How did I explain that I had needed to find myself first before I came to terms with his mere existence, much less what he was supposed to be to me? That I'd had ten years of waiting, learning, preparing, and hoping for the moment he'd walk into my life? I sighed, looking out the window again at the rain that was falling harder.

"I don't know about _fine_," I admitted. "I just know how I feel. I never want to kill another human because my loss of control took away someone's dad and husband. I don't want to be that monster. I never want to lose who I was before...the real me. My personality is still me, and I'll always look exactly the same; only my diet has changed. But I can't judge you on your choices, because I've made decisions that affected my life...forever. Some I regret, but others were worth it. I can only live my own life the best I can; I can't condemn someone for living theirs – no matter what they've done. I don't have to answer for them, but perhaps one day, I'll have to answer for mine."

A small amount of tension left his handsome face, but his eyes heated, swirling from red to black. "Bella," was all he murmured before his lips were on mine. They were warm, wet, and when his tongue claimed my mouth, I could do nothing more than surrender to him...although it almost felt like he was surrendering to me.

Our legs tangled, as did our tongues. My hands tugged at his shirt, pulling him closer while trying to feel skin at the same time. Edward turned his head the opposite direction in order to kiss me deeper, a moan escaping him at the same time his hips surged forward against my own. He didn't stop; he merely reached down to my knee, hitching my leg higher around his waist just to do it again. Only, this time, I could feel so much more. My skin prickled into a fiery explosion, and my center clenched hard. The cotton of his t-shirt shredded in my hands in the center of his back when his very hard erection pressed against me just where I was hurting for him.

His hands gripped my hair, controlling every second of his kiss, finally wrenching my head to the side so that he could taste the skin of my neck. Cupping his firm ass, I pushed him into me – hard – which unraveled the last shred of my control, my shield going a little haywire. The pillar candle on the coffee table hit the rug with a dull thump, making us both jump.

_Sorry_, I thought to him, grasping either side of his face and pulling him up to meet my gaze.

"Don't be," he panted, his eyes even darker than before as he licked his lips. "Bella, I... I just... I need..." He huffed frustratedly through his nose, shaking his head. "I fucking love you...so much..."

I nodded, understanding what he needed and pushing at him to sit up. His face fell a little when I stood up from the sofa, until I silently offered him my hand. I led him through the room, my goal being our bedroom, but I gave the piano a glance on my way by.

"Not yet," he answered my unasked question. "I know why Esme saved it, but I'm not...there yet. She wants the man I was before I left, and I'm not him. I want to be, but I'm not."

Looking over my shoulder, I smiled warmly at him. "You will be, Edward. No one is rushing you on anything."

"I know," he muttered ever so softly, following me up the stairs to our room. When we closed the door behind us, he said, "I don't understand it."

"I love you," I stated, forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed so that I could stand between his legs, and his hands immediately pulled me closer. "What's not to understand about that?" I asked.

"_That_ I get," he chuckled softly. "I don't understand why they care. They don't know me."

I pulled the tattered remains of his t-shirt off of him and dropped it to the floor, grimacing at what I'd done, but he said nothing. Physically, he was perfect. Long, lean muscles, smooth skin, and just a smattering of hair – some on his chest and the rest leading temptingly down into the waist of his jeans – were just the tip of the iceberg. His face, his lips, his strong jaw, and his soft hair called to me like I'd never experienced. He was beautiful, angelic, but still masculine, radiating strength, wisdom, and power that only living for a hundred years could bring someone. And I wondered if he saw himself the way I did, the way women in public saw him. Something told me no.

"You may have been absent, but you were never gone. Carlisle and Esme spoke of you like you'd merely just...taken a vacation. Their love for you created respect from the rest of them."

"And you?" he asked, toying with the hem of my shirt.

"I love you," I stated again, this time, a little more firmly as I shrugged a shoulder. "It's always been there."

_It's permanent and unwavering. It came through my change stronger than I can explain to you_, I thought to him at the same time my own shirt was swiftly removed.

Edward was done talking.

He lifted me to straddle his lap, his fingers immediately snapping my bra off and tossing it to the floor. Gently, he cupped my breasts as I leaned in to kiss him, losing myself in the feel of taking control this time. My hips rolled, my tongue claimed, and my hands gripped hair.

Breaking from his mouth, I nipped lightly down his sharp jaw, whispering, "Lay back."

Edward used his strength to drag us both to the center of the bed, keeping me on his lap. He reclined back, his eyes flickering between my face and my heaving chest. Bracing myself on his shoulders, I kissed him again, moaning low when he gripped my hips to grind me against him – like I needed help seeking friction.

He grinned against my mouth at my internal sarcasm. "Just trying to help, love."

I giggled softly, kissing his chin, his chest, each nipple, and his navel, swirling my tongue out just to taste his skin. When I reached his belt, I sat up on his thighs, gazing down at him. He was just stunning as his stomach muscles tensed when I reached for his belt. His biceps and forearms flexed as he grasped my thighs, but he made no move to stop me from removing his jeans. The thick, dense sound of his cock falling to his stomach hard, heavy, and already leaking caused my breathing to hitch and my eyes to almost roll back. To humans, we're hard as stone, cold, and unmoving. To each other, we're warm and pliant. But _that sound_ was alien to me and so very fucking sexy. It was a sound that I was grateful for my perfect immortal memory recall, because it was definitely something I wanted to hear again...and again. And I wanted to taste every drop he'd give me.

Seeing my thoughts, Edward gasped and groaned, a small rumbling purr echoing through the room. "Bella, shit... You don't..."

It was too damn late, because my hand wrapped around his thick cock just as I swiped my tongue across the tip of him to catch what was already leaking. The flavor! It was all Edward, only concentrated. Dragging the tip of my tongue around the edge, I found that he was most sensitive where the skin was thin, extra soft. He was hot steel wrapped in silk, he was veins that no longer funneled blood, he was twitching flesh, he was growls of want and love and need, and he was _mine_.

Incoherent words gushed from him when I sank down over him completely, moaning at the feel of long, strong fingers weaving into my hair. I tortured him like he tortured me – slow, languid licks and strokes building up to light nipping teeth, and finally to long, hard sucks. I teased his inner thighs with my thumbs, tickling the crease where his leg met his hip, which caused another string of profanities to hit the air. But when I cupped his balls, I knew he'd just about reached his limit, because he twitched hard in my mouth.

I gazed up at him through my eyelashes, locking eyes with solid black, and I watched him shatter. To see years of stress and frustration melt away from his glorious face, from around the hard edge his eyes seemed to carry, was all the reward I needed. His whole body arched, his fingers gripping my hair as he came hard down my throat. The sound of my name alone could've made me come with just how desperate and amazing it sounded.

When I pulled off of him, Edward moved in a blur, and I found myself pinned underneath him, my jeans obliterated somewhere in the room. With one hand braced by my head, the other grasped a fistful of my panties, and then he twisted hard, the sound of ripping lace making me gasp.

"What about you? Hmm?" he purred, trailing his nose down my cheek to the soft spot behind my ear. "My turn now, love?" His voice took on the tone of the devil himself as he posed the same question he had the first night we'd mated.

He smiled wickedly against my flesh, chuckling darkly. His hands skimmed, pinched, and groped. His lips ghosted back to my mouth, where he kissed me deeply. And for a split second, I wondered if he'd used my open mind against me, to do exactly what would drive me crazy with teasing, taunting.

"Uh uh." He shook his head at me and smiled an unbelievably sexy, crooked grin. "I'm not above cheating, beautiful. But your sweet, responsive body tells me..._everything_ I need to know," he crooned, nipping at my lips before skimming his nose down my neck, across my collarbones, and finally, around each high-peaked nipple. "I don't need to cheat," he explained, flattening his tongue over my left nipple. "I can see when your eyes darken, Bella." His words were murmured sexily as he placed random, open-mouthed kisses to my stomach, but his eyes didn't leave mine. "I can feel your nipples harden at whatever you're thinking about or at my touch...or even when I step close to you."

I shuddered hard when his tongue flicked out to swirl inside my bellybutton, my hips bucking up off the bed.

"But _mostly_...I can smell you, love." He inhaled deeply around my mound, at the crease of my legs, and just inside my thigh. "I know when you're wet for me. I taste it in the air, all tangy and sweet, hear it when you rub your legs together like you're doing now, and I can feel it on my fingers, my lips, my tongue."

My head fell back to the bed, my whole body writhing in pain with the want of him. His words, his voice...they were making me crazy. My arousal doubled, my hands reached for him, and my thighs pressed together.

"Edward, please, _please_ make it stop!" I finally begged, because I felt raw, swollen, achy. And he'd barely even touched me.

My legs were suddenly lifted and spread wide open, his mouth kissing my sex with slow strokes of his tongue but also with deep, rumbling growls. If he kept that up, I was going to come instantly. There wasn't an inch of me that was left wanting. His tongue expertly drove me over the edge, with deep tastes of my center, dragging licks from one end of me to the other, and finally, with hard sucks to my clit. Over and over, he took me like that. When one orgasm would end, it seemed another hit me stronger, harder, until finally, he was growling, looming over my face at the same time he sank balls deep inside of me.

"Yesss," I hissed at the same time he grunted out his own curse.

"Fuck..."

We froze, feeling the atmosphere shift slightly.

Edward stayed as still as a statue as he gazed down at me. "You're all I want, Bella," he whispered, closing his eyes slowly and nuzzling my nose with his, up one side and down the other. "Nothing else matters but this. Nothing. I can do anything as long as you're with me."

My eyes stung with tears I couldn't cry, but I cupped his face. "I'm not going _anywhere_, baby. I swear."

"And that's the _only_ fucking thing I have faith in right now," he said with his lips so close to mine that I could feel the vibration of his voice. "Is that wrong?"

"Nothing about _us_ is wrong, Edward," I assured him, waiting for him to acknowledge what I'd said. When he nodded, I whispered, "Make love to me..."

When his mouth met mine again, it was soft, sweeter. He moved slow, but deep, whispering words of love in several different languages. I recognized French, Spanish, definitely Italian, and something that sounded like Russian.

Edward may have thought he didn't have a soul, but at that moment, I could see every bit of it...and it was beautiful and loving and giving. We held each other close as he gave himself to me over and over, sometimes burying his face in my neck.

He loved me for what seemed to be hours, or it could've been mere minutes. Time alone with him usually caused me to lose track of everything around me. He took his time bringing me to my last climax, pulling it from me with sexy words of encouragement just before he let go himself.

As he held me quietly, I realized that he'd lost his faith in everything but what he was holding onto at that moment, and that was okay, because he'd lived a long life witnessing terrible things. I could imagine that the ugly parts of the world could shatter just about anyone's faith in God, in one's purpose for life, in themselves. And my Edward desperately wanted it all back. He was used to long years of being in control of his actions – a long eighty years – and because immortals essentially don't take to change very well, he was now struggling with his diet, his new family, and being mated. For someone used to being alone and under someone else's command, I could imagine that it was all just too damn much.

I laid my head on his chest, my fingers playing with his own as we watched the rain still coming down outside my windows. His body was much more relaxed, and I was grateful he hadn't gone back to pacing and being pissed off that we'd stopped him from killing the security guard at the mall, a thought that made him chuckle softly.

"Sorry about that," he murmured, dropping a kiss to my head. "I just wanted... I wouldn't have given it another thought about stalking him back to the child. I'm sorry for my outburst."

I leaned in to another kiss to the top of my head before I gazed up at him. "If Carlisle can fix it, he will," I said, and he stared at me for a moment before nodding one time.

"You're right, you know," he said softly, his warm, deep red eyes drifting back to the rainy weather outside. "I've lost faith in myself. I can't be both people. I can't be what I was for so long and at the same time be a member of this family."

I sat up abruptly, tugging the sheet around me. "What are you saying?"

"Calm down, love," he soothed, propping himself up on his elbow at the same time his free hand cupped my face. "I'm saying I have to let go of one those sides of myself."

I wanted to ask him which one, but his eye roll at me made me giggle, because he wanted me and to be wherever I was. It was letting go of the past that was giving him so much trouble. It was also figuring out where he fit in when it came to the family, besides just as my mate.

"Edward, for all those years... What did you want?"

"Freedom from Aro," he answered immediately.

"To do what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He smiled softly and nodded, looking down at his own hand splayed on the bed. "To do whatever I wanted, when I wanted. Maybe come home to Carlisle. I just knew I didn't want to be...enslaved anymore."

"Before you left, what made you happy?" I asked, tilting my head at him.

He huffed a humorless laugh, shrugging a shoulder like a belligerent teen. "Not much...little things. Um, playing the piano, finding big game on a hunt, running...definitely running. Arguing with Rose."

I giggled, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "And would those things still make you happy?"

"Probably," he allowed, his brow furrowing when he glanced up at me. "But you make me the happiest. It's unsettling how much I feel I don't deserve you."

I tsked at him, rolling my eyes. "You deserve happiness just as much as anyone else, Edward. And you have your freedom. If you could do anything right now, what would it be? If you could take on any task, learn something new, or travel somewhere... What would you do?"

"I just did it," he chuckled, giving me a wink when I laughed.

"Utterly insatiable," I sighed dramatically.

"Um, pot...meet kettle..." he teased back, gathering me into his arms. He sat back against the headboard, pulling me on top of him. His fingers trailed lightly up and down my spine, over my bottom, and back up as he gazed at me. "I want you every second, and somehow, I'm not sorry for that."

"Me, either," I chuckled, kissing his lips quickly.

"This is a big change for you, too, sweetheart. What would you do?"

"Everything," I answered simply, shrugging a shoulder. "Whatever we wanted. We'll need to move again in the next year, so school is a possibility, Edward. As boring as it can be, it gives us the freedom to settle in somewhere, to get a place of our own or live with the family. We can hunt together, play together, stay in bed all day when its sunny..."

He grinned, and it was so beautiful, but he suddenly said, "I want a car. Something fast and ridiculously expensive."

I laughed and nodded. "Then you can have one. Believe it or not, Rose has amazing skills as a mechanic. She and Emmett take care of all the cars. That's their thing."

"Interesting," he snorted, his face scrunching up into an adorable expression of confusion.

"I'd like to try college," I stated with a shrug. "I didn't get much choice the first time we moved, and this last time, I got my own place."

Edward eyebrows shot up. "College," he mused softly, his fingers still ghosting up and down my spine.

"Now you get it," I chuckled. "Become a lawyer...catch bad guys the legal way..."

He laughed, hugging me close. "Christ, love..." He chuckled again, this time pressing kisses to wherever his lips reached. "I'm totally over-thinking this shit, aren't I?"

"I don't know, baby," I sighed deeply, tracing his face with one finger. "I can imagine hopes and dreams weren't high on your list."

"I know I've been difficult, moody... I've just been afraid to let go. My identity is lost somewhere," he admitted.

"Edward, you've been going through withdrawal. No one is mad at you. We're all here to help you. Jasper can feel your bloodlust, Alice sees what decisions you make – good or bad – and I'll stop you," I told him. "This family won't judge you. They certainly allowed me my moments to rage and fight and struggle. They never even batted an eye. And when it was over, and I felt stupid and guilty, they didn't even accept my apologies."

"They love you," he offered as a simple explanation.

"And _I_ love _you_, which just brings you with me. We protect our own," I stated. "The withdrawals won't last much longer, baby. I promise. You've only been inside this house for about a month. Thirty-five days, to be exact. No one can 'find themselves' in that short of a time. You've been through too much."

"You've counted?" he chuckled.

"Yep, they've been thirty-five really good days."

"Fan-fucking-tastic days," he purred, his hands slipping down my back once again, only this time, they rested on my ass, giving it a good squeeze.

Suddenly, we could hear the front doors burst open and the sounds of my siblings piling into the house. Edward flinched, most likely from the mental assault that came with it, so I shielded the room for him. Instead of going off to their respective rooms, the television came on at the same time Carlisle came home. All of it drew Esme out of wherever my earlier activities with Edward had scared her to.

"Should we join them?" Edward chuckled softly.

"We don't have to," I snickered, shrugging a shoulder.

That decision caused a laugh to escape Alice, but suddenly, the volume on the TV went up, a news report echoing up to us as if we really were in the room.

"_Missing four-year-old Matthew Clover was recovered today, found in a cabin just north of Albany. Forty-one-year-old Nicolas Dolby Keyes was arrested for his kidnapping from the shopping center where the child was last seen. Keyes is facing felony charges for kidnapping, child endangerment, child pornography, sexual battery on a minor, and rape. If convicted, he's facing life in prison. He is also now a suspect in several cases of missing children in the surrounding states._

"_Matthew Clover was discovered by a group of campers, who called the tip in anonymously. The caller stated that they stumbled upon the cabin while on a hike and had seen Keyes and the child through the window. The campers refused to leave a name, though authorities are trying to trace the call._

"_Crime scene investigators are combing Keyes' cabin and the surrounding area in search of clues that might lead to other missing children. The police have stated that there are possible shallow graves on the property, and due its location, they might have never been found..."_

Edward had frozen at the sound of the report, and even his breathing had stopped. He gazed up at me, his eyes never leaving mine, because we both knew what the family had done without them even saying a word. They'd tracked Keyes, waited until he was fully inside his cabin with the little boy, and then called the police, most likely using a disposable cell phone that couldn't be tracked. I'd even be willing to bet that they'd found the shallow graves themselves, marking them somehow so that they could easily be spotted by the authorities.

They'd given Edward what he'd wanted: the child safe and the bad guy caught. And they'd done it without a single drop of human blood being shed, something that Edward had been incapable of at the time.

"Did you know?" he whispered, barely above audible.

I shook my head slowly, smirking down at him. _Nope,_ I thought to him, _I think they wanted to surprise you._

"Huh," he said, but nothing else.

However, I could see it in his eyes that he finally understood that he was truly accepted. They'd merely filled in when Edward had been unable to do it himself. It was what families did for each other.

His face was so adorable that I couldn't help but grasp either side and kiss his lips roughly. _You look...confused, _I chuckled. _You also look like you want to go down there and hear all about it._

He nodded fervently but didn't move. "I don't know what to say," he whispered, his brow furrowing.

"They don't expect you to say anything, but I can imagine that Emmett wants to brag with a play-by-play." I snickered, but it broke into a laugh when Emmett's big voice boomed up to us.

"Hell, yeah! Come down! You shoulda seen the guy's face when the cops pulled in, Eddie," he yelled.

"Don't call me Eddie!" Edward growled, but a smirk played on his face as he sat us up a little. He turned to me, saying, "Lift that shield, love."

With a giggle, I slipped off of his lap at the same time I lifted my shield. Edward tilted his head as he tried to watch all five minds downstairs.

"Carlisle followed Keyes. The rest were hunting when he called, and they ran to meet him. They all checked out the cabin..." he murmured, frowning at whatever he was seeing.

"Good deeds deserve celebration," Emmett called up. "You need to lighten up..._Eddie_."

Emmett was baiting Edward. I knew that from experience. He wanted to rile him up, poke at him until he finally got the reaction he wanted. Emmett used to do it to me all the time. He'd pester and pick, tease and taunt until I couldn't take it.

Edward growled low, tugging on his jeans. In the blink of an eye, he was down the stairs. The sound of snarling, laughing, and breaking furniture echoed up, and before I could get dressed, Esme was already on it.

"Take it outside, boys! Now! You won't break my house," she told them, but I could hear her amusement, her love shining through the scolding.

Alice appeared in my doorway. "Definitely time for celebration," she murmured, smirking her little all-knowing smile. "Edward's decided to beat Emmett with his own arms."

"Wait! Are we celebrating the good deed...or the fact that Edward is ripping off Emmett's arms and using them as a club?"

"Six in one hand...half a dozen in the other," she sang, which caused me to laugh. "It was touch and go there for a bit with Edward," she said, her eyes sad. "He couldn't decide anything, because he was too angry...and then suddenly, he wanted a list of things." She grinned up at me.

I smiled at her, shrugging a shoulder. She'd probably seen most of the conversation, or at least some of it, but I could see that she had a clue. Some things about Edward, I kept private, his personal admissions and worries being a part of it. I wanted to ask her what she'd seen, but I didn't.

"You're sure?" she asked, grinning at me. "I can name a few things that you both want."

I shook my head, because I wanted Edward to tell me himself...in his own time. "Nope, Alice. Let this one slide. He's struggling with his past enough; no need to taint his future by outing everything," I said, but my eyes begged her to understand. There was a part of my relationship with Edward that I wanted to remain unseen.

When she nodded, I followed her downstairs, where I was pretty sure I could hear the boys still wrestling at the far end of the property, with Esme still scolding, Jasper and Rose cheering them on, and Carlisle's laughter. And I had to smile, because it sounded so normal, so absolutely perfect.

**~oooOOOooo~**

**A/N... Our Edward is getting there. Slowly, but surely. Couple steps forward, a step back... it happens. He's also finding his niche in the family, along with finding himself again.**

**There are probably a few more chaps left... 3 or 4, approximately. Have you figured out the end goal, yet? ;) And will Aro change his mind about letting Edward go? **

**Big muwahs to my girls. JenRar for beta'ing and GooberLou for pre-reading. Both were sad about an unsure Edward, but agreed that he's hot. LOL Funnily enough, neither knew they were saying the same thing. **

**Lots of love to all that have rec'd and reviewed. Thank you, thank you. :) I'll most likely post within the week, so until then... Mooches! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N...For shits and giggles, I thought a Sunday posting would be fun. :)**

**It seems most of you are in agreement... Aro won't be able to let his favorite toy go, nor would he stop wanting Carlisle's talented family, hmm?**

**DISCLAIMER...I don't speak German, so any mistakes, blame Google Translator. :)**

**Edward has now been home for a total of 3 months... Let's see how he's fairing. Most of you were pulling for him pretty hard. :) **

**~oooOOOooo~**

Chapter 5

**EPOV**

Trees flew by as I raced through the woods. Branches were heavy with recent rain, the drops falling in a shower to the forest floor only after I'd passed them. I stopped abruptly, inhaling deeply and listening for any sound that could give me a clue as to where I should go next.

Freesia.

It was close, but not close enough. A breeze blew my hair off of my forehead. Grinning, my head spun to the left, taking in every movement, but aside from a few birds flitting in and out of the higher branches of the trees and a few small rodents foraging for their next meal, there was no sign of any change. Bella was upwind from me; that much I knew. I may have been fast, but my girl was cunning.

What had started as a simple but necessary hunting trip was now an enormous game of Hide and Seek. At first, I'd thought it silly, but Bella had taunted and run until I couldn't help but give in. It was in our nature to give chase. Personally, I'd rather find a soft, grassy spot and kiss her, pinning her down until her beautiful laugh turned into moans for more, but she was so happy that it was infectious. And now it was a matter of pride, because I refused to let a younger, less experienced immortal get the best of me – mate or not.

I chuckled low when the scent of her shifted. "Oh, Isabella. I _can_ find you," I murmured, knowing she could hear me.

Taking it slower, I followed her trail, knowing it probably was what she wanted. It turned, threaded through the woods, and doubled back countless times, but there seemed to be a pattern that continued northwest. The snap of a twig drew me to my right, narrowing in on the scent of freesia, orange blossoms, and the leather of my new car – an Aston Martin, which qualified as both fast and ridiculously expensive. It was also the first thing I'd bought for myself in over eighty years.

I was so focused on finding Bella that the sound of a heavy, healthy heartbeat didn't register immediately.

I froze, inhaling again, and the burn in my throat exploded, despite the stag I'd taken just an hour before. I launched myself into the nearest tree, scaling to the top to scan the area for the human. I wasn't far from a cluster of homes, which wasn't unexpected in the Appalachians, but it was still a surprise to see that I'd lost track of exactly where I was.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I ignored it, knowing it was probably Alice having seen everything. I made a specific decision, and the buzzing stopped. Smiling at just how amazing Alice's talent could be, I looked across the small field.

A young girl, not quite a woman but not really a child, stepped gracelessly through the tall grasses. She was aiming toward the small creek about twenty yards away. She was thin, with light brown hair, wearing jeans that were rolled up to just below her knees and a t-shirt with some graphic design on it. Her thoughts were muted, not because I couldn't hear them but mostly because she was simply trying hard _not_ to think...about anything. Flashes of a home, an argument, and a feeling of disappointment were the only things I could really pick up.

The scent I loved the most wafted around me, and Bella appeared on a branch next to my own.

"Edward?" she said softly enough that the human would never be able to detect it.

"I'm okay," I told her, tearing my gaze away from the girl that had almost made it to where she was aiming to see Bella's concerned expression. "I'm okay," I reiterated with a nod and a smile I couldn't help, because for the first time since my change in diet, I _was_ okay.

Bella's mind was open to me to show me that she'd shield me if necessary, but mostly, I saw myself reflected back. Though my eyes were dark due to the situation, they weren't black. They were now a deep amber on a normal basis, the red almost gone, but in her mind, I could see that I was truly in control. My face was almost relaxed, though slightly curious. There was no urge to stalk the girl, to drain the sweet blood I could smell from where I was standing. I could hear the rush of it speeding through her veins, practically feel each thump of her heart, but I didn't want it enough to ruin all the work I'd gone through to get to that point.

Most of all, I didn't want to disappoint Bella...or even Carlisle, because to take _this human_ would be a disaster that might result in having to move us, because we weren't far from Carlisle's home. Both he and Bella had had endless patience the entire three months I'd been with them, no matter what I'd thrown their way. My withdrawal had been harder than expected, shaking my emotions, my beliefs, and my confidence. We'd gone through it all, but I'd slowly rebuilt my resistance. Though the scent still occasionally rocked me, I found that I could actually push past it.

To distract myself, but also to immerse myself in it, I sat down where my branch met the trunk, and Bella followed suit, reaching over to brush my hair from my forehead.

"She's mad," I said, jerking a chin toward the human girl, who was now dipping bare feet into the creek from the bank. "Her parents are fighting...they're always fighting...and she's wishing they'd stop."

"What's the fight about?"

"Money...or really, the lack thereof," I answered her. "They were supposed to go...somewhere, but now they can't. Some unexpected expense." My brow furrowed as I tried to pick up more from the girl, but she was now reading a book – something about a love triangle in high school. "Now she just wants peace and quiet," I chuckled, shrugging a shoulder.

"Does that help?" Bella asked, tilting her head at me. "Listening?"

"Yes," I stated with a nod. "It really does. It gives...perspective?"

"Makes them..._people_, not food," she surmised with a nod, but her smile could have melted the heart of the most hardened personalities – immortal or human. "That would've been nice to have about nine years ago... I'm jealous."

Laughing, I grasped her by the back of the neck, pulling her in for a kiss. "Don't be," I whispered against her sweet lips. "It's helpful but disturbing at the best of times."

She giggled softly, but it was an innocently sexy sound to my ears. "I can imagine."

My Bella was all I never knew I wanted or needed. Since I'd been with her, nothing was the same. Nothing. She was my comfort, my strength, my sparring partner – both verbal and physical – and my reason for smiling more in the last few months than I had my whole long life. She'd become everything. She celebrated even the smallest of victories with silly dances and cheers, but never judged me on any steps backwards, only standing steady to push me onward. When the family became too much, she was my escape. But mostly, she was my best friend, giving me an audience that I didn't think I'd ever need, and was so damned beautiful and sexy and sweet that she was the best of distractions.

Picking up her hand and kissing the center of her palm, I said, "We should probably head back."

"You need to hunt on the way?" she asked, leaning to kiss me one more time before standing up.

"Yeah, I should," I sighed. "One more couldn't hurt."

"Nah, it couldn't," she snickered, dropping from her perch to the soft ground below without making a sound. This time, she waited for me.

"Game over?" I chuckled, taking her hand again.

"You almost had me," she giggled. "We'll call it a draw due to interference."

"Deal, love," I laughed, tugging her hand so that we could leave the young human to her peace and quiet.

A few hours later, we wandered up into the backyard hand in hand, completely sated. Not only had we each hunted down another deer, but I'd taken her under the shade of a large willow tree, ravishing every inch of her in the tall, cool grasses. We took the last few yards at a human pace, only to run into Carlisle on the back deck.

"Alice says you came across a human while hunting," he stated, his face filled with concern.

"Well, hi to you, too, Carlisle," Bella snarked back, giving him a wink, which worked on him like magic, melting his overly concerned expression into something a little calmer.

"No, not close," I answered him, unable to stop my smirk. "I was more interested in _why_ the girl was in the clearing than the fact that she _was_ there."

"Without Bella's shield?" he asked verbally, though his thoughts were centered more on pride that I'd come a long way since my return.

"I was right there," Bella sighed, rolling her eyes. "He was fine...never even flinched. I would've stopped him. Honestly, you men have no faith. In fact, we sat right there with no problem...got me all curious as to why she was out there in the middle of no-damn-where. Now I'll never know where it was she was supposed to be going that her parents couldn't suddenly take her."

Carlisle and I grinned over at her, both of us chuckling and shaking our heads at her little rant.

"Sorry, love. I can't always hear everything. She never thought about her original destination," I explained.

The nickname _Spitfire_ flickered through Carlisle's thoughts. He'd forgotten how fitting it had been during her newborn phase. It had come from Jasper, but all had agreed it suited her.

"Yeah, a little bit," I agreed softly without taking my eyes from her, because she was stunning when she was all riled up, which caused Carlisle to laugh almost silently.

"Tell him I offered," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"She did," I said with a nod. "I declined it. And I'm glad I did, because I was able to endure it."

"Excellent, son," he praised, squeezing my shoulder and switching to thoughts. _You've acclimated quicker than I expected. I'm proud of you. All your hard work has certainly paid off, though I had no doubt __you could do__ it._

His praise embarrassed me, and I only nodded that I'd heard him.

"Let me ask you something," he started, looking between us. "Do you think you could handle the city?"

"If I could stop during the hunt," I began, giving a giggling Bella a side glance, because I didn't elaborate that it was her that I was hunting, "then I can probably handle anything at this point. Nevertheless, Bella could shield me if I had an issue."

He studied my face and then Bella's, finally chuckling. "I think Alice has cabin fever, because she wants you guys to head into the city tonight."

Bella groaned, rolling her eyes up to me and then over to him. "She wants to go to the club?"

"Yes, I believe that's the plan," he laughed, draping an arm across her shoulders.

"You know you want to!" Alice yelled from somewhere inside the house. "I've already seen us there!"

I laughed softly as Alice showed me what she'd seen. We were back at the club that I'd followed Bella to, only this time, I was with them, and it looked like I was having no problem dealing with the humans all around us. But Alice made sure to show me a specific part of her vision – a dance with Bella. It wasn't dancing like I'd known as a human, all stiff and barely touching, and it certainly wasn't like the classic type of dance I'd seen throughout Spain and Italy. This was entwined limbs, bodies pressed together, and lips sharing the same breaths. And I wanted it. Badly. I wanted that experience with her.

Alice laughed maniacally when I made a decision to thank her in some major shopping event way. I was thinking car, yacht...highrise in New York.

"What are you two up to?" Bella asked, her gaze flickering between me and the house.

"Nothing," Alice and I both answered innocently.

"Mmhm," she hummed through pursed lips.

"What?" I asked, which only cause Carlisle to laugh unabashedly.

"Nothing, Edward. So you want to go, then? You're ready?" Bella asked.

Despite the chuckles coming from our father and from inside the house, I knew it was a serious question, so I nodded. "Yes, I'll be fine."

She studied my face for just a moment, but finally nodded, saying, "Okay, fine. We'll go."

~oooOOOooo~

I flinched at the sound of _so many_ minds surrounding me as Bella and I drove through the city. It wasn't as much of a shock to my system as I'd been expecting. I'd been through major cities before – London, Paris, Berlin, even Hong Kong – so I knew how to mentally prepare myself for it. I could filter most of the noise out, though Bella's talent helped soften it a little. I was also bracing myself for the scent of innumerable humans, but the other smells that came with them helped make it manageable, too. Food, car exhaust, garbage, sewage, concrete, and steel seemed to join in with the scent of human blood, causing a odor that was altogether disgusting.

I parked at Bella's old apartment, knowing that _Pulse_ was within walking distance. I wanted her alone for just a few minutes, so when I met her at her car door, I stopped her, pressing her back into my car.

Bella looked incredible, dressed in a short skirt and tight shirt. All the places that my hands continuously ached to touch were accentuated by denim and some sort of blue stretchy material. Her mahogany locks fell down around her shoulders, and she was wearing just enough makeup to appear human. But it was the warm look in her golden eyes as she snaked her arms around my neck that made me completely forget what I'd wanted to tell her.

"You're so beautiful," I breathed, nuzzling her nose with my own.

"Mmm, I could say the same, Edward," she purred, pushing me back just enough to give me an appraising peek.

"Alice," I chuckled, shrugging a shoulder at the black jeans, black blazer with the sleeves rolled up, and white t-shirt the tiny thing had visually forced me into. It hadn't been worth fighting. "You know, you're right. It's nice not having to think about it."

"I see your old boots survived her, though," she pointed out.

"That was a fight the little shit wasn't going to win," I laughed, looking down at my old black leather boots. "It didn't matter what decision she came to, her vision showed me wearing them."

"You're lucky she hasn't broken into my apartment to get to your leather coat," Bella giggled, pulling me back to her, and I couldn't help but kiss her.

"She'd better not," I growled softly as my lips met hers.

Some days, I just couldn't get enough of her. And this was one of them. I was a slave to her, in all honesty. I couldn't get enough running with her during the hunt, enough laughter, enough smiles, or nearly enough touching. The pull to her was stronger on some days than others, I'd noticed, but I knew I wasn't alone. Bella felt the same way. She'd told me, shown me in her mind. After over a hundred years of solitude, it was a shock and a comfort to find the other half of me, the half that balanced me out perfectly.

As my fingers threaded themselves into her hair, Bella's mouth opened to mine, which caused a low, rumbling growl to escape me as my whole body leaned into her. Our phones buzzed in our pockets, but we ignored them. I was vaguely aware of the fact that we were out in public in a dark alley as I broke away from her mouth to kiss slowly down her neck. I could barely register the sounds of the neighborhood around us – an open window four stories up, a car alarm two blocks over, and the endless din of several TVs on different channels. Luckily, Bella's shield calmed the mental assault that could've been hitting me from every resident of the surrounding apartment buildings. I could hear them; she just merely turned down the volume.

"You know," I purred, licking up the side of her neck, only to capture her earlobe in my mouth, "it wasn't that long ago that I followed you down this very alleyway." I was grateful that my brain finally remembered what I'd wanted to tell her, because the girl literally stunned me stupid sometimes.

"I know," she panted, weaving her fingers into my hair to hold me close. "I knew you were there."

"You did?" I gasped, pulling back to look her in the eye.

She kissed me roughly, giggling against my lips. "I didn't see you, just felt something change. I shielded myself from you."

"You were on the phone with Alice," I whispered, ghosting my lips across her cheek. "You said you hated the club. You know, we don't have to go," I told her, skimming my hand down her thigh and back around to her ass.

"I did," she laughed. "It wasn't easy having no dance partner other than sweaty human boys."

"I know...one almost met his demise that night." I laughed when she suddenly froze, gasping, and pushed me back. "What?" I asked at the sight of her incredulous expression. "I didn't know _why_ I felt that way, love, but I did. He was a weak, useless human in my eyes."

"This one?" she asked, opening her mind and showing me the boy I was talking about.

"Yes," I snarled, shaking my head and frowning at the sight of the two of them dancing, as if I didn't have my own perfect memory of it.

"He was harmless, you know. So nervous that he could hardly speak," she explained, shrugging a shoulder.

"That's because you were _way_ out of his league...and mine, too, for that matter," I told her.

"Mm'kay, whatever," she laughed, kissing me again. "Shut up and take me to my apartment," she whispered, dragging her teeth along my jaw.

"Yes," I hissed, visions of taking her hard on her sofa again running rampant through my mind. Wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her away from the car, I growled low and defeated when our phones when off again. "Fuck," I grumbled, my forehead hitting her shoulder. "You'd better look."

"Dammit," Bella sighed, giving her phone a quick glance. "The whole lot of them will show up without shame. Emmett will make us play Monopoly or some shit. We'd better go."

"We could always come back later," I suggested, giving her the smile that seemed to get me the most kisses.

"Smart man," she crooned, kissing me one more time before taking my hand and leading me down the alley.

_Pulse_ was considered dangerous by humans...or at least, that was the thrill that drew them in. It had a pretty interesting reputation for being a "den of sin," to quote Emmett. It was heavy music, low lighting, and filled with people that considered themselves creatures of the night. Little did they know...

However, despite the rumors that surrounded the place, it actually wasn't bad. The security kept the place clear of troublemakers, the bartenders never let someone drive drunk, and the DJ was damned good. They played a wide range of music, from current dance to heavy techno.

The place was pretty full, so I needed a moment at a table to truly get used to the scents, the sounds, and the feel of so many minds and bodies. It took about an hour there before I was acclimated.

I once liked dance clubs, because the nastiest of men got up to no good. If I didn't have time to actually hunt down a criminal, then a bar was the next best place to go, because there was always someone trying to take advantage of someone else. Whether it was a breech of personal space, slipping something into an unsuspecting woman's drink, or simply following her out into the street where no one could see, I was always able to find my next meal. I'd found that the date-raping, roofie-dropping cowards whined and cried more just before their death than any other offender. They'd beg, bargain, and sob, but it never worked. In the end, I'd shown them what it was like to have their control taken away. I despised a rapist; they were the lowest of the low. The tears of someone weaker should not be a turn on.

I also liked the clubs for the music. It didn't matter that the latest songs were IQ-dropping idiocy – lyrics had just about dropped to an all time low – but the music itself was complex and twisted. Strange sounds were combined to create impressive chords – something that had been going on for decades, from the first orchestra, to the invention of rock and roll.

Soft lips pressed to my cheek, and I smiled, looking over at Bella. "I'm okay," I told her in a chuckle, answering her silent question. I'd asked her to please keep her mind open to me, and she'd done it so far with no argument. "Just...getting used to being in here without an agenda."

"Ah," she said, and then scrunched up her nose in the most adorable way as she immediately guessed why I'd be in a bar. "And they say chivalry is dead," she murmured wryly, giggling when I barked a laugh.

"A bit archaic," I snickered, bowing my head to her, "but I'm not dead. Well...depending on your definition."

She smiled sweetly, leaning closer, but I shifted, setting her feet on the bottom rung of my stool so that she could stand between my legs. "You're really hot for an old man, baby. But now is not the time for the whole dead versus undead versus monster debate, Edward," she stated.

Grinning, I nodded in agreement and kissed her lips softly, my eyes falling to the table in the far corner. It was the one I'd sat at when I'd followed Bella.

"You looked dangerous that night," she whispered, and despite the loud music, I heard her just fine. She'd caught my line of sight. "And so, so sad."

I gazed up at her, sighing deeply at just how true that statement was, but I didn't say anything. I was surprised that she'd seen me, but I'd been wrapped in a personal debate that night – walk away and stay Aro's toy, or take her to him and basically destroy the beautiful creature in my arms. Now I understood why I couldn't come to a decision that night, but then, it had been pure hell.

My eyes fell to the dance floor and her – our – siblings, and I smiled when a Latin-based beat started.

"Dance with me," I said, laughing when my girl didn't just smile, but fucking _beamed_, because she apparently loved the song. "Silly girl," I chuckled, setting her down to the floor. "Come on."

According to Bella's mind, the song was by Jennifer Lopez. Taking her hand, I led her to the floor, pulling her hips to mine. It had been decades since I'd danced, and that had been because Esme had taught me a few moves. She and Carlisle had wanted to head down to Rio to get away for their fifth anniversary, so she'd practiced with me while he was working at the hospital. And while I was pretty sure this was going to be completely different, the basics were still the same. Thanks to my perfect memory, I was able to pick right back up.

_Nobody knows what I'm feeling inside._

_I find it so stupid, so why should I hide,_

_That I love to make love to you, baby._

_So many ways I wanna touch you tonight._

_I'm a big girl, got no secrets this time._

I knew as soon as Bella's darkening eyes locked with mine and her arms wrapped around my neck, I was lost to her. There wasn't an inch of space between us as her thighs were on either side of one of my own. Our hips moved in sync, our foreheads pressed together, and my hands couldn't stop from skimming down her sides in order to guide her and keep her close.

_Only got just one life, this I've learned._

_Who cares what they're gonna say._

_I wanna dance, and love, and dance again._

_I wanna dance, and love, and dance again._

I was well aware we had an audience in not only our family, but in the humans dancing around us, but it didn't stop me. I had no use for exhibitionism, but something deep inside of me needed to mark my territory for all to see, to claim her in front of the whole lot of them. Instead, I grinned, took her hand, and spun her out, only to tug her right back into my arms, which made her laugh.

_Baby, your fire is lighting me up._

_The way that you move, boy, is reason enough._

_That I love to make love to you, baby._

_I can't behave._

_Oh, I want you so much._

To see Bella's mind agreeing with the words of the song was my undoing. My lips met hers softly, only to trace down her cheek to her neck, my fingers weaving into her hair at the base of her skull. My other hand hooked her thigh around mine, and I smiled against her throat when she squeaked in surprise but continued to keep the rhythm.

Once the song was over, I dipped her and gave my girl one more kiss on the lips, my head snapping up to meet Jasper's gaze, because apparently, we'd not only kicked up some serious lust in the building, but severe jealousy. It was envy over our looks, our dance, and our obvious attraction to each other.

"We'd better take a break, love," I whispered in her ear. "Jasper's having...trouble."

Bella laughed, her head falling back as I wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her up, only to set her down once off the dance floor. She gave Jasper a sheepish grin, but shrugged. In her mind, she was basically saying, "Sue me." He merely shot her a crooked smile and a wink as he and Alice stayed out on the floor. I sat down at our table, pulling Bella into my lap.

"Damn, Bells," Emmett laughed, sitting down next to us with Rose on his other side. "Who knew you had it in ya?"

"Not me," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"All in the leading," I sighed haughtily, grinning at their laughter and leaning into Bella's kiss to my jaw.

Emmett and Rose stayed with us at the table for a little while longer, but he was determined to see if they could beat me and Bella at completely driving Jasper crazy. So finally, they left us to dance some more. The competitiveness between the guys never slowed down. There was always a bet, always a contest.

I discovered that my Bella was what some would call a "people watcher." I'm sure it came from being the outsider of three mated couples, so she had to occupy her mind in some way, but she was too cute trying to guess what different people were up to inside the club.

_Definitely together_, she thought to herself as she studied a young man and woman who were obviously flirting.

"Nope," I laughed, shaking my head. "Not together. They both want to be, but they aren't. They'd be cheating on significant others if they did."

Bella gasped, her eyes wide as a smile crept up her stunning face. "Okay," she said, dragging the word out. "How about...that guy?" she asked, showing me in her mind the guy at the end of the bar.

"He'd be happy with a one night stand," I told her, pressing my lips to her temple as she rested her head back onto my shoulder. "He's had a 'shit week' – his words, not mine – at work."

"The bartender?" she asked, now thinking it was a game.

"Bored...and tired. She's got class in the morning and is running over what looks to be chemistry formulas in her mind. Fitting that she's a bartender," I mused, my eyebrows raising up. "That's a mixing of components in a form..."

Bella giggled, nuzzling my cheek with her own. "I love you."

"Love you, too, sweetheart," I sighed, shaking my head at just how different things had changed since the last time I'd seen that very bartender.

I wrapped my arms all the way around her, dropping a kiss to my mark on her skin, where her neck sloped into her shoulder, and smiling when it caused a shiver to wrack her frame.

Bella was just about to ask me to take her out of there so that we could make use of her apartment, but Alice's mind screamed at me from the dance floor, and my head snapped around to see her rush up. But it was the minds of several humans that caused a growl to escape me.

_That is one scary looking motherfucker._

_Damn, he's ginormous!_

I smelled him before my eyes locked on him. Ignoring everyone around him, he walked toward our table, which now had all of us waiting for him. We couldn't make a scene, and he was blocking his mind from me – something he'd gotten really good at over the years.

Setting Bella on her feet, I took her hand and squeezed it, but I didn't let go.

"Edward?" she breathed, but I just shook my head as the enormous immortal made his way to us. He made Emmett look the size of a normal man.

He studied my face with scarlet eyes, his mind focusing on WWI battle sights. Finally, he cracked a smile. "Edward," he said, his German accent still thick, despite his many years of speaking English.

"Felix," I stated, which caused everyone around me to stiffen.

"I see the rumor is true," he muttered, jerking his chin toward Bella. _She's a beauty, junge ein,_ he thought to me, calling me "young one" in German, which was ridiculous, because he was only fifteen years older than me. It was more of a jibe against my frozen age of seventeen.

"She is," I agreed, trying to keep the growl from my answer but failing.

"Easy, I'm hear to warn you," he told me. "I followed your last flight. I didn't think it would be so simple to locate your scent. You need to know...Aro is coming for you."

"I don't think so," Emmett snarled, but calmed when Jasper's talent kicked in to settle everyone's anxiousness.

"We should talk, Edward. You should know the details," Felix urged, giving the club a hungry look.

"Not here," I said, referring to not only his need to talk, but to his need to hunt, as well. I turned to Alice. "Call Carlisle. Have them meet us at Bella's apartment. He's going to want to hear this," I told her, because we both caught flashes of the conversation to come. I stood up from my stool, saying, "Come. We'll take this someplace else."

Felix took caution when it came to his thoughts as we walked down the street. He noted the color change in my eyes, the fact that I'd mentioned Carlisle – a legend in Volterra, despite the many years he'd been gone – and the immortals surrounding him. He was strong, but he knew if the rumors were true about Carlisle's coven, he wouldn't survive it if he fucked up. He wasn't here for a fight.

His mind wasn't the only nervous one. Emmett and Rose were concerned, but they trusted Alice and me to warn them if this was going to go badly. Bella trusted me completely, though she was nervous about whatever news Felix was about to tell us. She also had confidence in her shield to protect the family. Old friend or not, she'd ruin Felix if he made one wrong move.

Glancing over at Jasper, who was running every scenario of defense, I shook my head. "Not yet," I stated.

_He's nervous, but he's not lying,_ Jasper thought to me, his brow furrowing. _He has information for you. And he's...happy to see you?_

I smiled, nodding one time as we filed into Bella's apartment building, because I hadn't been lying when I said the large man and I had become friends. Felix had no patience for politics, which meant he had no trust in the three brothers. He knew I'd been in Italy essentially against my will, and the days he'd take me hunting in the very beginning, he'd been very curious. He was well aware of his position. He was a thug, a strong arm, and nothing more. Aro used him, and he knew it. He stayed, because like most of Aro's guard, he wasn't given much choice.

Bella let us inside her place, shutting the door behind her. Felix sat down in the chair in the far corner, Emmett and Rose took the sofa, leaving enough room for Carlisle and Esme, and Alice perched herself up on Bella's kitchen counter, with Jasper leaning almost casually next to her.

"We'll wait for Carlisle," I told Felix, sitting on the edge of the loveseat with Bella beside me. "Does Aro know you're here?"

"No," he sighed, frowning. "He thinks I'm scouting a newborn situation. I'm supposed to be in Louisiana."

"You'll be ash if he ever finds out differently," I warned him, shaking my head.

"Aro will not touch me again," he stated firmly, almost in a growl. "He can send the trackers all he wants, but Demetri will not best me. And that little weasel James..." He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Chuckling, I got up when there was a soft knock at the door. Felix and I felt the same way when it came to James. He was talented, yes, but he was very unstable. I knew for a fact that he was loyal to Aro, simply because Aro allowed James to unleash his cruel nature.

I opened the door to see Carlisle standing there with his hand at Esme's back.

_Son, is everything all right?_ His thoughts were laced with concern, because Alice had not given him a lot of detail.

"Yes. Felix tracked me down. He has information concerning the Volturi, and he's putting his life on the line to get it to us," I explained, trying to let everyone in the room know that I trusted Felix; it was everyone else in Italy that couldn't be trusted.

Felix was immediately on his feet, which caused everyone in the room to flinch, but Carlisle smiled at him kindly, his mind trying to wrap around the man's sheer size. For a split second, he wondered who was stronger – Felix or Emmett.

"It's an honor, Carlisle," Felix stated, bowing his head.

"Well, any friend of Edward's is welcome. Have a seat. Why don't you tell us what brings you here," he suggested gently.

I smiled at Felix, because he instantly felt at ease. Even Jasper snickered at Felix's new calm demeanor. It was just the way Carlisle was; he treated every man with respect unless they gave him reason not to.

"Aro wants you back, Edward," Felix blurted out bluntly. "I was in the castle when Carlisle called. Aro doesn't believe that you're mated. He snapped. Several low level guards were destroyed with his temper. Not even Marcus could calm him down, and Caius encouraged him to visit you."

"Of course he did," I muttered, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

"Yes, Caius has always loved conflict," Carlisle mused, rubbing his chin. "Do you know when Aro will head this way?"

"Soon," Felix replied with a nod. "He was preparing his guard just before I left Italy." He sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. "There are some of us that are...uncomfortable with Aro's ways. He wants all the power, and he's willing to go to any lengths to get it." Felix's eyes traveled around the room, but his gaze locked onto Bella and then suddenly to me when I released a snarl. "Aro is willing to do anything to get her...and that one over there," he stated, pointing to Alice. "Even if it means breaking his own rules."

"What are you saying?" Bella whispered.

"I'm saying that he'll use the illusion that Carlisle was lying about Edward having found a mate in you. He'll manipulate the guard – even his brothers – in order to take Edward back, take you, take the seer over there."

Not one breath was taken, nor could any thoughts be heard for a fraction of a second. Then, minds exploded. Emmett immediately went into stand and fight mode. Jasper started strategical planning. Rose didn't want to run, but she would if it meant everyone was safe. Carlisle was relatively calm, but angry; he didn't like his family threatened, and he _really _didn't like his honor questioned. Esme was just plain worried for her "children." Bella, however, was eerily quiet, her thoughts disappearing on me.

"Fuck," I breathed, weaving my hands in my hair. "Sorry, Esme," I whispered in regret of my language.

"I'm sure we can overlook it, given the circumstances," she replied without missing a beat, and I could hear her slight touch of humor in her mind, because I was apologizing for that when so much else was going on.

Meeting Alice's gaze once more, because she was running every scenario, I asked, "It doesn't matter, does it?"

Her eyes glazed over as she shook her head slowly. "He's right. They're coming."

"No!" Bella suddenly growled, and there was a shift in the room. It was physical, almost pushing me away from her, but Jasper was instantly up and kneeling in front of her.

Felix simply looked shocked.

"Aw, now, Spitfire," Jasper crooned, placing a hand on hers as windows rattled in their frames with the pressure she was putting them under. "You can't do that. Reel it in, darlin'."

My eyebrows shot up, because Carlisle had said more than one time that Bella was more powerful than she'd shown me, and I was beginning to feel it. Even more, I could see it in Carlisle's and Jasper's minds. Bella as a newborn had been more than just bloodlust; it had been an uncontrollable shield. I saw shattered furniture, broken windows, and forests cleared. It seemed to get the better of her when she was upset.

"Hey," I said, leaning down to her ear. "Not a chance. Relax, love. Aro knows he can't _make_ someone work for him. He bribes them, blackmails them, and brainwashes them, but only the willing go. Look at me," I growled softly, pulling her forehead to mine.

When her eyes locked with mine, her mind opened again, showing me her true fears – someone hurting her family, but mainly, someone hurting me. She couldn't lose me, not when she'd just gotten me.

"No, no, no," I soothed her, running my fingers through her hair. "We'll figure something out, but that won't happen. Not ever, Bella." I glanced up when a vase toppled off of the mantle and shattered on the floor. "Can you pull it back in?" I asked, because I'd never seen a shield so strong before. "Can you do that for me? We can't fix this unless you're calm, love."

_You're helping,_ Jasper thought to me, struggling with the panic that was surging through her. _Better than me, actually. Keep going._

Picking up her hand, I kissed the center of her palm, feeling her relax a little more. "Sweetheart, I know how they work. We've got the truth on our side, love." I tucked her hair behind her ear, whispering, "Please relax. For me?"

Bella let out a shuddering breath, which in turn caused Jasper to visibly loosen up. He was able to leave her, taking his place back at Alice's side.

"Good girl," I said in her ear, barely letting sound leave my lips.

"Edward's right," Carlisle said softly. "If Aro wants to verify the truth, we'll let him."

_Junge ein, Aro will use the size of this coven against you_. Felix's mind was filled with warning. _It's always been his problem with Carlisle. He wants the shield and the seer, and he's all but said he's taking you back._

"I know," I answered him without thinking. "It won't happen. I won't allow it," I growled at him, but he smiled warmly, despite my outburst.

"Talk to us, son," Carlisle said, giving Bella a worried glance and sitting on the edge of his seat. "What are you thinking?"

Keeping Bella's hand in mine, I rubbed my thumb over her palm just to keep contact. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I think Aro will send his favorite pets...James, Demetri, Alec, and Jane. The two trackers can be easily disposed of, but Alec and Jane are different." I gave Bella a quick glance, turning back to Carlisle. "Though, we would have protection..."

A rather pompous smirk crawled up his face, his thoughts along the same lines as mine. _Bella can shield an entire group of us. I'm not sure how long that will hold Aro off._

I gazed slowly around the room. "The talent in this room is what he wants. Even Emmett's strength would prove useful. And as far as I know, there's only one seer in the immortal world," I stated, raising an eyebrow at Alice. "The fact that not one of us wants to work for Aro pisses him off, because he's like a spoiled child – always wanting the next biggest and greatest toy. He will consider our numbers a threat."

"Then we will just prove to him that we are not a threat," Carlisle stated forcefully.

He was pissed, which was rare, but I could see what he was considering as his options. My eyebrows shot up, and I turned to Felix.

"All three brothers are coming?" I asked him, even though Alice was nodding in my peripheral vision. When Felix nodded, too, I turned back to Carlisle. "You think that will work?"

"It's our only hope at this point," he sighed.

"You've broken no laws," Felix suddenly added, pointing around the room. "You've caused no scene, started no wars, and clearly you're all mated. Aro really has no leg to stand on. You just have to show him." He sighed, shaking his head. "However, I will now be considered a traitor for telling you what I know. He wanted the element of surprise."

He smiled wickedly, which made Bella chuckle softly.

"What will you do?" she asked him.

"I will go into hiding, _schonheit_," he said, calling her beauty. "If they come for me, then I will fight."

"Let us help you," Carlisle offered. "I have friends. They can hide you until this is settled. They are an extended family of sorts."

"Denali?" Rose suddenly asked, her brow furrowed.

"We should bring Eleazar down. Perhaps he could help," Jasper suggested. "He used to work for Aro."

Carlisle's mind scattered into several different directions. If he called the Denali coven, he'd have backup, but he'd also make it look like he was prepared for a fight.

"We may have no choice," I told him.

"I'm aware,"he sighed, shaking his head. _I'm not sure what's the right way to handle this. I won't have my family threatened, but I don't want to start a war._

"See?" Felix chuckled, standing up. "You have enough worries. Don't let me add to them. I promise I'll be fine."

"Here," Alice said, hopping down from her perch on the counter. She pulled out an older cell phone. "I saw that I needed to bring this, but not why. Take it. If you need us, call."

Felix thanked her, pocketed the phone, and bowed a head to Carlisle. Turning to me, he used his mind to communicate. _It's good to see you, Edward. This...family suits you._

"Thank you, Felix," I said, shaking his hand.

"Take care of yourself," he ordered, smiling a bit.

"You, too."

He knelt in front of Bella. "Little shield, protect my oldest friend for me, yeah?" he asked her as he jerked a thumb my way, grinning when she nodded. "Good. And know this... If all three brothers are coming, they will bring their wives along with the guard. Only you will know what to do with that information if it comes down to a fight. Fight fire with fire, _schonheit._"

Bella's eyebrows furrowed for just a moment, but she simply said, "Okay."

With that said, he gave one last nod to all of us and left the apartment.

Every one of us turned to Carlisle, waiting for his next step. In his thoughts, he was conflicted, because he didn't want to chance anything happening to any of us, but he couldn't stand idly by and let the Volturi threaten him – especially when he had the means to see it coming. All he really wanted was to defend his way of life, to protect those he loved. He didn't want to fight, but he would if he had to. And it was that last thought that allowed him to make a decision.

"Alice, do you see when he'll be here?" he asked her.

"They're making travel decisions now," she answered. "And Felix is right...they're bringing everyone."

"He's smart, though Aro doesn't know it," I told her with a nod. "They underestimate him. They always have. That may save his life, because they'll never see his betrayal coming."

"I say we plan to fight," Emmett growled, balling up a fist and smacking it into his open palm. "If we don't, then no big deal, but at least we're prepared. Pixie, is there a way you can see where they'll meet up with us?"

"It's changing from the house to an opening in the woods. I'll know more as they get closer," she said, shrugging a shoulder.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," Carlisle sighed, glancing around the room "I need you all to promise me one thing. You will stay within the law at all times. Do not give them a reason to do anything. Do you understand me? No fighting, no outrageous actions in front of the humans, and absolutely no show of talent. We will be on our best behavior. I don't want anything going back to Italy saying otherwise. I don't want to give them any excuses for doling out punishments."

"So you want us to be the better of the monsters," Rose said wryly, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, actually, I do," he snickered, shrugging a shoulder. "See, the brothers can act any way they see fit, but if they break their own rules, then we won't hesitate to defend ourselves."

I'd never meant for any of this to happen, and I shook my head and sighed wearily.

"No guilt, brother," Jasper grunted, giving a stiff shake of his head. "There's no need for it."

Carlisle's head spun to me. "You are a member of this family, Edward. We'll fight for you. You didn't bring this down on us. Aro has only been biding his time. You said so yourself."

Bella huffed, giving me a dark look and standing up. She offered me her hand. "No one in this family is going anywhere. We aren't toys to be stolen from the next door neighbor. Aro can try all he wants, but he won't get past me."

Carlisle smiled at her bravery. "I'd like everyone back at the house, please. In fact, I'd like us all to stick close for the next few days...at least until Alice can see more. I have to call Alaska, and we need to prepare ourselves."

I could see deep down that Carlisle was trying to approach this situation with civility and reason, but there was another part that was not going to back down from the Volturi this time.

"Carlisle," Bella started, but Alice interrupted her.

"You'll be fine, just as long as you're home by mid-afternoon. I see us sitting down to start planning by then," she said knowingly, and I could see that Bella was just about to ask Carlisle if she and I could stay in the city just for the night.

"Fine," Esme said, kissing my cheek and then Bella's. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Once everyone had left, Bella went about cleaning up the shattered vase. She swept the glass into a dustpan and dropped it in the garbage.

She scowled at the now empty space on her mantle. "I liked that one," she muttered, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay that you did. You're worried," I said, sitting down on the couch and waving her over. "I'm sorry about that."

"I guess I should be happy it wasn't the windows," she said with a grimace, ignoring my apology. "Been there, done that."

Grinning, I gathered her to me, pulling her onto my lap, but my smile faded quickly. "Bella, we should..."

She stopped me with a quick kiss to my lips. "Not now. You want to plan, then we'll do it with the family tomorrow. Not here and not now. Just...be with me. I need just us."

I could see in her mind that she was more than worried; she was just shy of a state of panic, but she was masking it amazingly well. She wanted nothing more than to run away to keep us all safe, but her practical side knew that running would only prolong the inevitable. There was also a deadly side to her thoughts; she'd kill them all to keep us safe. It was at that point that I knew I needed to talk to Jasper and Carlisle, because I really needed to know what she was capable of, and I'd be willing to bet even she didn't know what her abilities were. But it could wait, because she needed me, and there wasn't a thing that could stop me from giving her what she wanted.

Giving in completely, I cupped her face, whispering, "Okay, love. Just us."

**~oooOOOooo~**

**A/N...Oh boy, so you all sort of guessed this would happen. A little trouble from Italy coming right up... Will it be a big, ole fight? Or will Aro see the truth? And will the Denali clan show up to help?**

**There are two more _planned_ chapters after this one. I say _planned_, because I know that some things tend to write themselves, so...well, yeah...you get it. **

**Huge thanks to JenRar for cleaning this one up for me. And to GooberLou, who helped with my song choice... Which, by the way, was _Dance Again_ by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull. It's been a LONG time since I'd used lyrics in a fic. LOL **

**Attention Blood & Glory readers... That story has been nominated for 2 Twilight Eclipse Awards! :) It's up for Best All Human and Best Alice. (Yes, I laughed about the Alice one...the little genius that she is...I could just hear her chanting, "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" LMAO) Please go show your love... www(dot)twilighteclipseawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**Okay, the next posting is unknown, but I promise to not take too long. I'm aiming for next Sunday, so don't panic. Until next time... MOOCHES! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N... I know, I know, I know... It's been a long time between posts. I really am sorry about that. RL has been kicking my butt, and this plot bunny almost escaped. I was absolutely terrified that I was going to have to put this story on hiatus.**

**First, I want to apologize for Google Translator's mistakes for German. My choice of words were incorrect, but everyone that messaged me and corrected me in reviews were all completely different, so I guess it's just gonna have to slide. :) I think Latin based languages are definitely easier, friendlier to someone that only speaks English...for me, anyway. LOL ;)**

**Anyway, I know it's been a few weeks, so I will let you get to it. Thanks to all of you that hung in there...**

**~oOo~**

Chapter 6

**BPOV**

My phone bleeped from my pocket, and I scowled at the message from Alice.

_A: Twenty-two minutes. And you'll live. I promise._

I tsked, rolling my eyes at her, and shoved my phone back into my pocket. I went back to helping Esme re-pot a few flowers. It was just the two of us in the back yard for the moment, though Edward wasn't far and Carlisle was inside the house. Everyone else had gone to meet the Denali clan and go for a hunt.

"Isabella, what's wrong with you?" Esme laughed, nudging my shoulder with her own. "If looks could kill, my poor daisies would be withered."

"Nothing," I scoffed, shaking my head and forcing my attention on the task at hand.

I had no luck whatsoever with gardening, but Esme insisted it was a calming activity, which it was, but only because her presence made it that way. If it were all on me, the poor garden would look like the Apocalypse had hit. When she first started to teach me, I was heavy handed and had no patience for it, but I'd been an angry newborn at the time. Now it was our time to chat, though I wasn't feeling very talkative at the moment.

"Liar," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"Alice says they're on their way," I said softly, not elaborating on my mood, but as usual, it came spilling out to her in a hiss. "Did we _have_ to call them? I mean, really? It's just that... Okay, calling them was fine, but did they have to _come here_?"

"They merely want to show their support for Carlisle, dear," she soothed, gracefully pulling one plant from its pot and slipping it into a bigger, prettier planter.

I wanted to call bullshit when I heard it, because I knew them, but I didn't. "No, Carmen and Eleazar are coming to show their support. The rest are just...curious, and you know it."

"Maybe," she said, cracking the fuck up.

She knew how I felt about the three Denali sisters. Well, more specifically..._one_ Denali sister. Tanya. I'd been introduced to them not long after my change. We'd stayed in Alaska for a few months in order to get not only my finances squared away but to give me a chance to relax after Charlie's death. They'd all been very welcoming until they'd heard _why_ I'd been changed. Or really...the _who_ behind the reason for my change: Edward. Then they went from welcoming to regaling me with endless stories because they'd met him decades back – and they'd all wanted him.

Tanya, Kate, and Irina were considered the original succubi. They were stunning, possessing powers that drew in men. If they wanted someone, they got them. Emmett called it their "voodoo mojo." Now, they shared the same diet as we did, but back when they'd first been changed, they would lure human men into their beds, give them the highest of sexual pleasure, only to finally drain them. The diet had changed, but their love of men had not. And I wasn't so sure they cared whether the men were human or not.

They also couldn't be any different from each other. Kate was my favorite of the three. She had long blonde hair, a carefree attitude, and a sweet smile. We both shared a love of books. Irina was a bit more playful and mischievous, with a touch of a mean streak in her. And then there was Tanya, who wore her beauty and her power like a warm, winter coat. It was practically an aura around her. Her walk, her gestures, her speech, even a toss of her strawberry blonde hair – it all dripped with endless carnal and sensual knowledge.

When the three women had found out about Alice's vision concerning Edward being my mate, they'd scoffed, not believing he'd ever come back. But that didn't mean that they didn't tell me all about him – from their point of view.

Every last one of them had tried to bed him, but he'd politely declined them – a thought that still made me smile. Kate had called him "deliciously handsome," telling me that his quiet, cool nature was sexy. Irina had called him "a tall drink of water," with hair that begged to be pulled. Tanya, however, said that he was "hung like a horse" and had the potential to be "an amazing lover." How she knew the former, I'd never know, because I was petrified to ask. In all honestly, the three woman had scared me back then.

"Why is Aro taking so damn long?" I asked, squishing the flower I was supposed to be re-potting down into its new home. "It's utterly ridiculous in this day and age for it to take this long to travel. He's probably got more money that God Himself, yet Alice hasn't seen them leave Italy. He could just...I don't know...charter a fucking plane," I ranted, instantly regretting my language. "Sorry..."

"Sweetheart, you're tearing up my marigolds," she chuckled, gently taking the pot from me and pushing it away. She turned me to face her, whispering, "No one is taking him from you, Bella. Not Aro and certainly not those hussies from Alaska." She kissed my cheek when I smirked at her. "He's your mate, and he loves you. You watch how that works if those three get a wild idea in their head because he not only will hear it, he'll hate it. He despised it back then, and he'll be no different now." She paused just long enough for me to nod. "As far as Aro is concerned, well...no one threatens my family. If he can't accept us, then we'll fight. We've done nothing wrong, according to their rules. And they can't separate mates. It's a concrete law."

I could see that she was nervous, but she was determined that the right would win out in this situation. I wanted to believe her, and there was a part of me that did. I was just angry enough to know that if push came to shove, I'd kill anyone that touched my family. And I'd completely snap if they tried to touch a hair on Edward's head. But Carlisle wanted us calm, cool, and collected. He wanted to approach the Volturi with facts and reason and a polite decline to their invitation of joining them. He wanted to prove that we were better than they were.

"Do you think that's what Felix meant? When he told me that they'd be bringing their wives, do you think he meant for me to do something about it?" I asked her, but it was my favorite smooth, velvet voice that answered me.

"That's exactly what he meant," Edward said, setting two bags of potting soil down on the table that Esme had sent him to the shed for. "In his mind, he saw it coming down to a fight. He sees the wives as...um, leverage, so to speak."

I nodded, trying to wrap my head around that, but said nothing. I'd never been in a real fight before. Wrestling matches with my brothers, yes...a true battle, definitely not.

Turning back to the table, I reached for one of the bags that he'd brought. "Alice said they're almost here," I mumbled, "so I guess we'd better finish this..."

"I'll finish here, Bella. Go get cleaned up," Esme said, shooing both of us away from her table. "Go!" she laughed. "And don't touch anything but the kitchen sink! Both of you."

"God, you're so bossy!" I teased her with a laugh, absolutely loving the sound of Edward's amused chuckle at us. "Heaven forbid a speck of dirt sully your house," I growled, dodging a clump of potting soil aimed at my head.

"Mmhm, go!" she ordered, smirking and pointing toward the house.

Edward followed me quietly into the house, leaning next to me as I washed my hands. Once his were clean, he picked me up and set me on the kitchen counter, stepping between my legs.

Cupping my face, he whispered, "What are you thinking? You've been closed to me all day."

I groaned, hiding my face in my favorite spot – the crook of his neck and shoulder. My body shook with his light chuckle, but he held me close, dropping sweet, soft kisses to my cheek.

"You _really_ don't want to know," I mumbled against his skin, closing my eyes as the scent of him invaded my nose. It was soothing down to my very bones. "It's dumb."

"It is impossible for any thought of yours to be..._dumb_, Bella," he snickered. "Try me."

Keeping my face hidden, I opened my mind, letting him hear my thoughts during my chat with Esme, including my memories of the Denali sisters.

He groaned, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Beautiful, you have nothing to worry about with them."

"I know, I know," I muttered, gripping the back of his shirt in tight fistfuls. "I told you it was dumb."

"Want to know how Tanya knows..._that _about me?" he asked, his voice sounding amused yet a touch embarrassed.

Gasping, I pulled back, gaping up at him. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Wait, wait," he laughed. "Love, it's not what you think. You're right on one thing... They were relentless..."

"Tanya _saw_ you?" I interrupted in almost a squeak.

"She tried to barge in on my shower once, thought it would work out in her favor," he explained quickly, looking even more embarrassed. "I heard her coming. Anything she saw was quickly covered up by a towel. What she saw and what she bragged to her sisters about seeing are two very different things, Bella. I promise you. Tanya does not like to...fail."

I humphed, rolling my eyes.

"Isabella," he growled sexily, pressing his forehead to mine. "I know what they are. Nothing about the...desires or feelings they instill in men is real. And they most certainly do not hold anything resembling a caring emotion for their prey."

I snorted at the word "prey."

"That's what men are to them, sweetheart," he continued. "It's a contest, an ante between them to see if they can reel in the object of their...obsession...not affection." He kissed my lips softly. "Kate, Irina, and Tanya consider themselves the original succubi, but they most certainly aren't the only ones out there. They only win if the man has no mind of his own." He huffed a laugh, giving me a slightly crooked smile. "It also helps that I can hear their bullshit before they actually try anything. They never could hide their thoughts from me. In fact, it might've been a good thing that my own talent back then was new. I hadn't learned to filter thoughts, so everything was _right there_."

His grin was smug and too adorable as he tapped his temple, and it allowed me to relax just a little, but the approaching guests didn't make me feel any less intimidated. It was a rare feeling for me because not much bothered me about my immortality, but the Denali sisters were like the popular human girls in high school that made everyone else feel small, awkward, and ugly.

The growl that suddenly escaped Edward as he heard my mind was deep, angry, and rumbled through his chest. "You aren't _any_ of those things, Bella. You're the complete opposite of them, actually. Again, it's their power..." He paused, his eyes still dark and angry as he studied my face. "When you saw them last, was your shield under control?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Hardly."

He smirked, kissing my lips softly. "Use it," he ordered gently, cupping my face. "This time, use it. See what difference it makes when they can't use their talent against you."

My eyebrows shot up. "Okay," I said softly. "So...wait... It works on both men and women?" I asked, and he nodded. "They pull the men to them but make the women feel inept so it clears their way?"

"Exactly."

"What about you?" I asked, running my fingers through his hair.

He grinned, shaking his head. "Nothing could tear me away from you, love. If it didn't work before I knew you, do you really think it'll work now that I have you?" he asked, and I shook my head no. "Good, because the things they offered were not things I wanted."

Tilting my chin up, he kissed me slow and deep, leaving me breathless, despite the fact that I didn't actually need the air.

Trailing light, sweet kisses to my ear, his voice was smooth, sexy. "If I remember correctly, the things they showed me are things I've already done..._with you_. They are things I only want..._with you_. And I want them again...and again...and again."

He dropped long, open mouth kisses with each "and again" he murmured sexily against my skin, which was driving me crazy but made me laugh at the same time. Smiling against my throat, he finally pulled back.

"Use your shield, and know that I belong to you. It's as simple as that," he stated firmly but ever so softly against my lips.

"I love you," I giggled, shaking my head at how he'd completely changed my mood.

Another smug-ass grin graced his beautiful face at that thought, and he kissed me roughly. "I love you too, beautiful. And it's my job to take care of you. You've certainly taken amazing care of me since I've been here. Now... Brace yourself, because they're here."

Without giving me a chance to grumble about it, he scooped me up onto his back and walked us out to the yard.

**EPOV**

I had not seen the Denali clan since at least two years prior to leaving Carlisle. Our memories never fade as immortals, so the sight of four beautiful women – all with varying shades of blonde aside from Carmen, who was raven black – was not a shock. What was a shock was the immense sense of jealousy that Jasper was suddenly trying his damnedest to change. It was jealousy at my Bella.

Keeping her close after she slid down to the grass, I gave Jasper a inquisitive glance.

He mere shrugged, thinking, _It wasn't there on the way here, man. I don't know why it would change now._

As Carlisle joined us, there were hugs and greetings, but I stayed back, keeping Bella at my side. I just wanted long enough to see what exactly was the problem. Smiling when it finally hit me, I relaxed. They were jealous of Bella's faith. They'd never believed that Alice's vision would come true, so to see that it had, to see Bella completely and obviously happy and mated was amazing to them. They also could see that they had no power over her anymore.

"You remember Edward, don't you?" Carlisle verified.

"Yes, of course," Carmen said with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Edward."

"I'm glad to see you back where you belong." Eleazar beamed as he shook my hand.

"Thank you. It's good to see you both," I said, giving a nod to the three ladies. "Kate, Irina...Tanya."

"Edward," they all chimed together, which caused every woman in my family to internally scoff – especially Rose, who had no patience for the "cows" in front of her.

Women were just as territorial as men. It was a fact – a fact that made me chuckle and squeeze Bella's hand.

Eleazar turned his attention to Bella, his thoughts assessing her talent, something that was _his_ talent. He could see in humans what capabilities they would have as vampires. As vampires, he could see everything they could do, everything that their talent consisted of, even if the subject didn't know it themselves. He was a legend in Volterra. Aro still wished that Eleazar worked for him.

"There she is," Eleazar said in as booming a voice as I'd ever heard him, smiling widely. "Haven't you learned a thing or two?" He chuckled at her grin.

"I suppose, Eleazar," she laughed, hugging him and then Carmen.

"Hmm," he mused, giving her a dramatic glare. "Though...there's still more to you..."

"Really?" Carlisle asked, completely intrigued, as was I.

Eleazar's thoughts were strange, because he felt more than saw how talents worked. His eyes flickered to me because he knew that I could read minds. He'd known it the first second we'd been introduced almost a hundred years ago.

_She could level them, Edward. And she's barely aware of her power. _His thoughts came as more of a warning but with the utmost respect. _It's why Aro wants her so badly. She would be the ultimate in defense._

"Tapping into it would hurt her," I stated, shaking my head. "It's...emotional for her."

Bella squeezed my hand because she knew I hated anything that upset her, but we'd finally sat down with Carlisle and Jasper just about a week prior. I needed to know just exactly what they knew about her talent. According to them, Bella had been unable to control her shield when she was angry or upset. It had taken a year for her newborn mania to wear off and another year of the family continuously working with her to calm her shield down into something she could handle. What she did now was impressive. What she might possibly be able to do with it could be deadly.

And then there was Bella. She actually feared her talent. She was afraid of being unable to control it, so she had learned to pull it all in. The little things like allowing me into her thoughts, the blocking of someone's touch, and the ability to push someone away – those were easy for her. They came as naturally to her as breathing. It was no different than Alice's visions, Jasper's emotional control, and my mind reading. But her defense mechanism was still untapped because Bella wouldn't allow it, really. She'd shattered furniture and windows, leveled trees in the woods, and destroyed her car, and it had scared her.

"I must apologize," he said with a sad smile, turning to Carlisle. "I don't mean any disrespect. However, you have our support. I'm afraid it was from me that Aro gained his knowledge of your family." He paused at the shocked sounds that came from my family, but he went on. "Carmen and I visited Spain a few months ago. We wanted to see the old country. Out of respect for the brothers, we stopped in Italy for a visit. I had not realized just how power-hungry Aro had become. He gave me no choice but to allow him to touch me. He saw everything, of course."

"You went for me," Carlisle surmised, grimacing a bit when Eleazar and Carmen both nodded.

I saw it all. Carlisle had spoken to Eleazar about his upcoming trip to Spain. Eleazar and Carmen had actually offered to look for me. Carlisle, despite all the years of separation, just wanted to know if I was alive, but he would never think of asking that of anyone. In Eleazar's attempt to help an old friend, he'd showed Aro just what powers now resided with Carlisle. Aro wanted them all, but he wanted Bella the most because through Eleazar's thoughts, he knew just what she was capable of.

"You weren't there, of course," Carmen stated, glancing up at me. "And Aro wouldn't say anything about you."

"Oh, damn," I sighed, shaking my head. "That's how he knew of Bella, of Alice...even Jasper. And because you were looking for me, he specifically gave me the job of bringing Bella back."

"Damn, Aro's a cruel bastard," Kate suddenly spoke up, her face scrunched up in disgust as her sisters nodded in agreement.

"So it's true," Emmett gasped. "He really would've used Bella against Carlisle. And he would've done it knowing Alice saw that Bella was your mate."

"And then he would've destroyed her," Alice added sadly. "In every way, he would've wrecked her. He would've had no choice but to kill her."

Bella let out a heavy breath but merely shook her head. She didn't know what to make of any of it. She felt that she was never anything special as a human, so this was too much to even conceive. All she knew was that she wanted to be left alone, to live her life with her family...and now with me. My Bella didn't like the attention.

"Enough," I stated, gazing down at Bella.

"I'm okay," she lied, smiling when she knew that I saw it.

"Well, maybe I'm not," I huffed dramatically just to see her golden eyes twinkle.

"Perhaps we should get inside. Alice will keep us alerted to Aro's decisions," Carlisle sighed, looking weary.

Esme and Carlisle led Carmen and Eleazar into the house. Alice's mind was warning me that Tanya was contemplating saying something to me, but it was Jasper and Emmett that I was concentrating on, because they were a little angry at Eleazar for revealing things to Aro. They wanted to protect the family, especially Bella, but they felt a touch betrayed by someone that they felt was family.

I turned to them, keeping Bella's hand in mine. "It doesn't work that way," I told them both, which caused everyone in the yard to stop. "Aro gives you the impression that it's your choice to let him read your mind, but there really isn't a choice at all. He considers it rude if you decline him, like you're hiding something from the Volturi. He throws his power in your face, showing you that with a single word, he could have you ripped apart. Eleazar would've had no alternative but to allow Aro to touch him."

"That's inside the castle," Emmett pointed out. "What happens in our own...back yard?" he asked, gesturing around him.

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. If what Felix said was true, then we'll have to hope that it's Marcus that sees reason. Only he would be able to convince his brother that Bella is my mate."

Jasper and Emmett nodded, but Alice's mental laughter caused me to give her a quick glance. She was standing next to Bella, who was looking nervous but calm as she stared at the Denali sisters.

"So it's true... You are mated, Edward," Tanya purred, her mind deciding to push her power my way.

"Don't even try it, Tanya," I said rather harshly, frowning at her. "It won't work, because it's absolutely true. Save it for your humans."

Irina chuckled, and Kate rolled her eyes at her, but Tanya smiled smugly, shrugging her shoulder.

"Can't blame a girl for trying. Just making sure that Isabella isn't being deceived," Tanya replied coyly.

I wanted to growl at the accusation, but Bella laughed softly, saying, "I told you, Tanya... Never bet against Alice."

We started toward the house, but Alice froze, her eyes glazing over. I spun to look at her at the same time that Jasper pulled her close.

"What is it, darlin'?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her face, and I noticed for the first time that he never sent her any emotion when she was seeing a vision. He simply allowed her to feel whatever it was the visions gave her.

I swallowed nervously, seeing exactly what Alice was seeing.

We both spoke at the same time. "They're leaving Italy today."

~oooOOOooo~

_You really aren't the one that should be working with her, Edward,_ Jasper thought to me, wincing when I shot an angry glare his way. _It should be Emmett. He can piss her off quicker than any of us._

I knew he was right, but that didn't mean I needed to hear it in my damn head every few minutes. I catered to Bella, took it easy on her, which in turn meant that she was too relaxed to push her shield to its maximum potential. She was amazing and could block every single one of us from Jasper's power, Emmett's strength, even one on one attacks from Kate's strange talent, which was some sort of shocking touch.

We were all working, planning, practicing together in a field not far from the Cullen home, the Denali clan included. From what Alice and I could piece together from her vision, the Volturi would arrive by the end of the week. No decisions that we made affected the outcome. They were coming. We tried deciding everything – leaving, hiding, running, even scattering ourselves throughout the city – but nothing changed her vision of seeing the Volturi approaching the Cullen home. From what we could see, they would be coming through the forests from the south, so we at least had the advantage of knowing the where. And we were going to exploit that. We were going to meet them before they could reach anywhere near humans.

Eleazar and Carlisle insisted that we train, that we try to push Bella, because Alice's vision also started to narrow in on a victory – one where the Volturi walked away from us. It seemed to focus on my Bella, but that's what scared the shit out of me. One second, we were all lined up against Aro, and the next second, Bella completely disappeared. And then...we fought. It was flashes, incomplete sequences. It was driving Alice and me insane.

"Fine," I snapped, raising a hand at him before he could say anything else, and then I turned to Bella with a defeated sigh. "Sweetheart, maybe you should—"

"Work with Emmett?" she surmised, giving both Jasper and me a deadly raised eyebrow. "Um...no. _You_ lived with these assholes. _You_ know how they think. I want to work with _you_. Stop babying me, Edward."

Carlisle's amused thoughts flickered through my mind but went away just as quickly as they came, as did everyone else's around us. I fought my smile and shook my head slowly as I ran a hand through my hair.

"Go on, Spitfire. Kick his ass!" Emmett cheered, grinning like a loon when I snorted into a short, soft laugh.

I gazed over at her and then rubbed my face in frustration. I really needed to let go of the thought that "babying" her, as she put it, was protecting her. It actually wasn't helping anything.

"Okay," I finally conceded with a nod, walking to her, but I wanted everyone to hear what I had to say. They were going to need to understand these things. "Aro's bringing everyone. He's going to act like he's civil, like he's royalty, and give Carlisle a chance to answer for the crimes for which he's been accused. What he really wants is to touch him, read his mind. He's going to want to read mine. The fact that Eleazar is here will anger him, because he'll know at that moment that his secret is out, that we know what he's been planning against the family the whole time.

"He's accusing us of attracting too much attention. He's assuming that Carlisle lied to him, that we aren't mated, so he'll want to reinstate my..._contract_ with him..."

"Well, we all know what you get when you _assume_," Emmett muttered, rolling his eyes.

I half-smiled at that, but he was kind of right. "The real crime that we're facing is a fact. We are unlike others out there. Immortals don't live like this, in this large of a group. At least the ones on regular diets of human blood. Our numbers will make him nervous, paranoid, and very angry. And Caius will agree with him."

"So why is Marcus the key?" Bella asked.

"Marcus sees the bonds between relationships. He sees the connections, so he'll be able to let Aro know that we are mated," I explained, gesturing between us. "The problem with Marcus, though, is that he's also going to see just how loyal we all are to Carlisle."

"True," Eleazar muttered. "Carlisle will be accused of building an army."

"Dammit," Carlisle sighed, but his mind was filled with worry and love for his family, even the extended members. _Son, you think he'll use that against us. Against me?_ His thoughts were nervous as I nodded to him once but answered for everyone.

"Yes, he'll use that against you. He'll call for your destruction, or...he'll call for an exchange," I stated angrily. "Our lives in exchange for yours. He'll want Bella, myself, Alice, Jasper...any talent he can get his hands on, especially if he gets the opportunity to read my mind."

"So..." Bella growled, dragging the word out. "So we don't let him touch you."

"Bella, it's not that simple," Carlisle sighed. "In Aro's eyes, if Edward refuses, then he's hiding something."

"We're all hiding something," Rose said, shrugging a shoulder. "Let him try to read our minds; Bella will shield us."

Bella's nose wrinkled at that, but she looked up to me. "I can shield myself that way but not others. He can touch me without reading my mind, but when I shield others, he won't be able to get near them. I can't do it any other way."

"I know," I told her with a nod. "Which is why you need to understand just who and what is coming with him."

"Tell me," she whispered, readying herself as I circled around her.

"Jane. Aro's favorite weapon," I started, jerking a chin to Jasper. "Her power is strong, deadly. She works like you and Jasper...remotely. She doesn't have to touch someone like Kate does to bring them to their knees with pain so strong that it feels worse than the three day burn of the change. You need to be able to shield us from her..._and_ still be able to fight."

Alice giggled lightly when Jasper decided to help out by sending wave after wave of different emotions – fear, anger, confusion, sorrow. Bella felt it all, swirling her shield up around us and crouching into a fighting stance.

"Good girl," I praised her just softly enough that she could hear me before taking a defensive stance across from her. Everything that Jasper was emitting cut off abruptly. "Next...Alec. He'll work like Jane, only not as painful. His power is easy to spot. It'll look like the heat shimmering in the distance on a hot road but rolling in slowly, only he can affect much more than one person. You'll think you're not so much powerless when it reaches you but senseless...numb. It'll take away your sense of sight, sound, smell and pain. Don't let it."

Bella nodded that she heard me, but her thoughts of attacking me gave her away.

Catching her in mid-jump and putting her back flat on the ground while I loomed over her, I growled, "Close your mind to me! Give them..._nothing. _Don't think, just use instinct. You aren't human, so don't think like one. Give into what you truly are, if only for this." I flicked the tip of her nose, just so she knew it was still us, still playful, but I needed her to pay attention, focus.

A wicked smile briefly curled up on her lips before she was back on her feet again, all thoughts disappearing instantly from my mind. All her shields stayed in place – the one around the two of us, protecting us from Jasper, and the one around her mind, keeping her thoughts from me. She crouched again; this time, her eyes had darkened to a pitch black. When she attacked, it was fierce, fast, and deadly. I just barely ducked in time, spinning to counter her hits, kicks, and grasping fingers. She backed away proudly, and I couldn't help but shoot a wink her way.

"Now... Demetri and James. Trackers," I continued, circling her again. "Demetri has been doing this for a very long time. If you run, he will find you. He doesn't use scent; he uses your mind," I told her, tapping my temple as I faced her again. "Which means, love, that you really have to keep that beautiful head shielded."

"Okay," she said softly, nervously, with a nod.

"James, however, uses _all_ of his senses, including one specifically built to track. It's almost like Alice, where he can predict your next step...and the next and the next. Understand?" I asked, and she nodded. "He's dangerous not because he can find you but for what he does once he gets his hands on you. He's cruel, evil, and a sadist. He's a rabid dog they keep leashed until they need him. He's completely unstable."

"Who else?" Esme asked from the side.

"Renata, a shield meant for Aro alone but significantly less powerful than Bella," I replied, giving everyone a quick glance. "And Heidi and Chelsea. They work similarly – though, when I left, Chelsea was not quite ready to take anywhere. She was the most recently changed, so she's still a volatile newborn. They draw people in, pull them in like pied pipers." I spun to Kate, Tanya, and Irina. "You three could counter that without even blinking. You may even work really well against James, because he's just... Well, you three..."

The Denali women chuckled, but Bella's giggle made me smile.

"So what you're saying, Edward, is that he's a horndog and the sisters here fit the bill?" Bella asked, her giggle lacing through her words like a tinkling bell.

"Well, right," I sighed, rolling my eyes at everyone's laughter.

"We so got this," Emmett murmured just loudly enough that everyone stopped laughing and nodded in agreement. "I mean," he sputtered, gesturing to Carlisle, "we'll stay still and quiet, but if something happens, then we're on it."

We started to relax, but Bella merely said, "Again."

When I spun my head her way, her thoughts opened briefly. _No one hurts my family. No one hurts you. Again. More._

"Okay," I stated firmly with a nod. "The royal guard is strength and speed. No more, no less. That's a straight up brawl if we get that far."

Before I could blink, Bella vaulted across the few feet between us, landing firmly on my chest. "Show me," she growled, ignoring the cheers from her brothers and the catcalls from Rose and Alice.

Grinning, I dragged my tongue along my bottom lip, shaking my head. But looking her straight in the eyes, I said only one word. "Run."

Instantly, the weight of her lifted off my chest, and she not only left the clearing and the family behind, but she vaulted up into the tree tops of the surrounding woods, using the branches like steps to take her higher and higher. Tracking her by scent was the only way to stay on her trail. I couldn't hear her mind, and she was silent as a soft breeze as she ran away from me. I barely heard the laughter of everyone fade away from the clearing as we tunneled deeper and deeper into the forest.

My speed was the only thing I could rely on at the moment in order to catch up to her. Her shield was blocking her mind from me, and her path was erratic, until she suddenly stopped, turning from defense to offense in the blink of an eye. Using her shield, she trapped me, dropping the two of us to the forest floor.

"What does James really do?" she asked, standing over me.

"He's a pig," I grunted, struggling uselessly against her power. Finally, I just collapsed back to the leafy ground in defeat.

"As in..." she prompted, raising a deadly eyebrow up at me.

"As in... He likes the game, the chase...the _capture_," I told her. "He toys with his prey. Aro feeds it well. Gives him status and power and leeway."

"Should I take him out first?"

I was shaking my head no before she even finished the question. "No. Jane. Jane first, Bella. You have no idea the pain... Then Alec, because he will cause confusion, and he can blind us all."

She nodded, turning away from me at the same time I felt her shield lift from me. "I'm scared, Edward."

"I know, love. I am, too." I stood up from the ground, dusting myself off. "I'm sorry my mistakes have brought us here."

She shook her head, waving that off. "No, don't," she said, leaning against a tree and locking gazes with me. "I'm scared for Carlisle. I'd rather us do anything than for something to happen to him. Does that make sense?"

I nodded. "I really don't want you in Italy, Bella. I'd do just about anything in order for that not to happen. I'd rather fight than to take you away from everything."

Her mind was now open to me, her fears swirling heavily in the forefront. She was scared to lose her family, for Carlisle to get in trouble for having too many immortals around him when all he wanted was to care them...for us – and her biggest fear was something happening to me. She could barely think the words death, separation, or loss. And on top of all of that, she was absolutely terrified she couldn't do what she needed to do to protect us, that her shield would fail her.

"Hey, hey," I said, closing the distance between us. Bracing my hands on the tree on either side of her head, I kissed her lips softly. "You won't fail, sweetheart. We'll be there right next to you. Even if you hold them off until we can come to some sort of agreement with Aro, then you'll have succeeded."

I studied her face, listened to her thoughts, all as she stood there silent, her eyes locked somewhere between my chest and my chin.

"What else worries you?" I asked her, tilting her gaze up with my fingers underneath her chin.

"My shield is..." She sighed, looking away from me toward the setting sun, her skin glimmering slightly under its rays. "Unstable," she finally finished with a heavy, nervous sigh.

"Hardly," I scoffed, gesturing to the tree we'd just fallen from. "But if you're talking about pushing yourself, then tell me about it. Why are you afraid?"

"When I let go...when I lose control of it...things happen," she whispered, her chin trembling. "When I was a newborn, I leveled two acres of trees in Washington the day that Charlie died. The one time I slipped in my diet, I shattered a small hunting cabin...and it was fifty feet away. The day that Tanya told me about seeing you...I know she lied," she huffed, rolling her eyes, "but I didn't know that then. I shredded a car from the inside out. A car, Edward! A two ton piece of machinery held together by fiberglass and metal! Carlisle had just given me the damn thing!"

I fought my smile, shaking my head. "You can learn to control that part, too, my sweet, beautiful girl."

She grimaced, her nose wrinkling adorably. "How?"

"Come here," I said, gently tugging her from the tree. I situated us in the center of a small clearing, bracing my hands on her shoulders. "When those things happened, love, what were you feeling?"

"Anger."

I nodded, because I'd suspected as much. "Okay, anything specific?"

"No... Well, with Charlie and the human I killed, I was angry with myself. With Tanya, I was just..." Her voice trailed off, but I nodded.

"Jealous?" I provided.

"Yeah, maybe," she sighed, her shoulders slumping just slightly under my touch. "I was extremely frustrated that I'd been changed, I couldn't control anything, and the fact that I was changed so that you'd show..."

"Oh," I snickered, kissing her lips when she frowned up at me. "You were pissed off at me!"

She smirked, trying to glare at me, but it turned into a giggle and a shrug. "I guess I'd hoped that once I'd been changed, you'd just...show up."

My eyebrows shot up, but I nodded and smiled. "Good. Remember that feeling?" I asked, and she said that she did. "Harness it. Relive it, right now. You were...what? Tired of waiting? Tired of feeling like you didn't fit in? You didn't understand why no man was good enough? Hmm? Did you think I was out...just fucking every mortal and immortal woman that I laid eyes on?"

I knew I was baiting her, but I could see that it was working. Her eyes blackened, her mouth tightened into a thin line, and her mind exploded with the memory of her pure, unadulterated fury.

"Did you think I knew all about you but opted to ignore it?" I asked, growling when her shield burst forth from her with a strength and power I wasn't prepared for, which caused me to stumble backwards several steps.

"Yes," she whispered, her hands balling up into tiny fists.

"You felt foolish for waiting?" I goaded her, using her biggest fear from back then.

"Yes!" she snarled, her growl lacing through her voice.

If I wasn't prepared for her anger at me, then I really wasn't ready for what her shield did. If it weren't for the push of wind that preceded it, I wouldn't have known to hit the deck. The sound of falling trees, crushing wood, and scared wildlife was a din of pure chaos. Limbs, leaves, and the unfortunate birds nest fell down on and around me.

Pushing my way out of the pile, I stood up, quickly surveying my surroundings. The woods looked like a giant blade had just shaved off every tree in a large three yard circle around us. It was fairly similar to what crop circles looked like.

Spinning back to Bella, I said, "Hold that! Keep that feeling, Bella. Can you feel it?"

She nodded, her eyes wide, but they were locked on the farthest row of trees that were bending under her shield's strength. They were practically snapping, but not quite. She was harnessing it, controlling it.

"Good girl," I breathed, because the sight was damned shocking. "If you remember that feeling, that initial burst, Bella, then you can draw on it later. Anytime, anyplace. Right?"

"Yeah," she whispered, nodding. "But I almost hurt you..."

"Nah," I chuckled, shaking my head and running my fingers through my hair to rid it of leaves and twigs. "I actually felt it coming. A rush of air..." I mused, gazing slowly around.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" I hummed, locking gazes with her.

"Can I stop now?"

Grinning, I nodded. "Yes, baby."

Another rush of air breezed over my head, but it seemed she controlled it this time. I ducked a little but suddenly found her wrapped around me like a limpet.

"I didn't mean it," she whispered.

"Yes, you did," I chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "But it's okay that you were frustrated, sweetheart. I don't blame you. At all."

"I love you," she mumbled into my chest.

"And I you," I sighed, closing my eyes at the magnitude of love that this tiny, fierce, yet so very fragile creature caused me to feel. "And believe me, I didn't know about you, Bella. If I had, I would've at least come to verify this supposed mate."

Her giggle shook us both, but she held me closer.

"We should get back," I whispered, but my hands betrayed me, running through her hair, down her back, and across her bottom.

"I don't want to," she murmured, pulling back from my chest to look up at me. The honey in her eyes swirled away, darkening to a deep amber, and then faded to black.

"Okay," I surrendered instantly, because after a hundred years of restraint, control, and calculating decisions, I had been completely taken over by the girl in my arms. With her, my personality had been boiled down to the seventeen-year-old boy in which I was frozen. All other thoughts vanished, leaving only what she wanted, what she asked of me. In fact, there was a part of me deep down that hoped she'd beg to run away from this upcoming fight, to hide, but I knew that she wouldn't. We _couldn't_, because it wasn't fair to the family, especially Carlisle.

No words were spoken as the sun set slowly. Barely leaving any space between us, clothes were carefully removed, hands touched, and kisses were placed on lips, shoulders, necks. Our foreheads touched as we stood naked in the small clearing. The scent of freshly cut timber was almost overwhelming due to all the trees Bella had destroyed, but I could only feel her, see her, taste her in the air around us.

It was earthy and floral, filling my mind with the knowledge that I had made her that way, that it was me that she wanted. Pulling her closer, I trapped my arousal between us, but I needed to feel every inch of skin against mine. Tiny hands branded my flesh from my ass, up my back, finally gripping my shoulders.

I could hear every thought in her beautiful mind. Her love for me was breathtaking, but her need to touch, to memorize, to lose herself in us if only for a moment made my chest ache.

"We'll stay together, Bella," I vowed in a whisper against her lips in order to soothe her unspoken fears. "With the family, alone for safety, or even in Italy...but we _will stay together._ I swear it."

A little whimper escaped her as she pressed further into me, turning her head to kiss me. There was no preamble for this kiss; it was desperate, loving, and full of everything she was trying to give me. Skimming my hands down her back, I cupped her ass and scooped her up in order to wrap her around me. A low growl rumbled out of me when her sweet, wet sex slid erotically over my erection. Laying her down on our discarded clothes, the kiss never broke. Heavy exhales pushed out against cheeks, tongues entwined, and lips glided wetly against each other.

_Inside, inside, inside_, Bella mentally begged, not wanting anything to do with foreplay.

I could sense that she was ready, feel it coating my cock, but my hand ghosted down her side to slip between her folds as my other hand braced itself by her head. Sinking two fingers into her, I couldn't help the smug smile that crooked up the corner of my mouth as her whole being rolled in want and need. Her mouth fell open, her breath caught, and she couldn't decide whether to grip the grass around us or me...anywhere on me – biceps, shoulders, sides, ass. It really just didn't matter to her because she just wanted more, closer, deeper, harder, faster.

"I'll give you all those things, my sweet girl," I promised in a deep voice that I could barely recognize as my own. "Just come for me one time. One great big beautiful time, love. Please..."

Her juices coated my fingers, dripping down to the palm of my hand. Her breathing stopped completely as her head arched back. Circling my thumb around the little bundle of nerves that set her off every time, I had to bite my bottom lip at the sight underneath me in order to control my instinct to take, to bury myself deep inside of her, to claim my mate over and over. Muscles taut, eyes rolling back, chest heaving, and tiny fingers that finally decided my biceps were their favorite spot caused a purring growl to escape me as I watched my own fingers sink into her over and over.

"Oh, baby...let it go. All of it."

I'd lived a very long time, seen things in the world that were considered the utmost in beauty, and I'd seen climaxes in so many minds that I'd lost count, but nothing beat the actual feel of my mate succumbing to my touch, my voice. Locking eyes with pitch black, feeling her walls clench down on my fingers, and watching as she lost herself to her orgasm...nothing came close to just how stunning that was. Her stomach tightened, her hips rose up off the ground, and my name came spilling out of her in a breathless chanting prayer. Fucking flawless.

Bella's little body trembled as she settled down from the aftershocks of her climax, but her hands pulled and tugged at me.

"Edward, please," she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck when I fell to brace my elbows on either side of her head.

"I love you...so much. Tell me you know that," I whispered against her lips, her jaw, her neck.

"Yes," she said, her breathing hitching just a little on the simple word. Reaching between us, she lined me up at her entrance, locking gazes with me when I hissed at just how sensitive I was. "Show me," she stated, using the same words she'd used when we were training just mere minutes prior.

Gritting my teeth, I sank slowly inside of her, reaching down to hitch her leg up higher in order to go that much deeper. I paused, dropping my forehead to hers, squeezing my eyes closed as I panted heavily for needless air. She felt too good, too right, and it was all I could do not to come instantly.

"I don't think I'll ever get use to the feel of you," I confessed, shaking my head slightly and finally opening my eyes to meet hers. "So, so fucking good, Bella. Damn."

Her fingers trailed down my back to my ass, and she tilted her hips in order to pull me in even deeper.

"I know," she agreed, her head falling back as she shamelessly rolled her hips again. "Edward...baby, please..."

"Fuck," I hissed, pulling almost all the way out of her only to thrust right back in.

I took her deep and hard, slowing down just to watch her face for every bite of her bottom lip, every eye roll, but our hands were not still. Cupping, gripping, memorizing, we touched everywhere. I tried to commit to memory every way her nipples would peak, but it was different every single time. They'd harden under my hand, my palm, but they became like diamonds in my mouth.

Kisses were deep and desperate, but growls were a duet of both of our voices. Sitting back on my heels, I watched my cock slip in and out of her, shaking my head at the sight.

"That is so...perfect," I muttered, pulling her hips to me over and over. I couldn't help but grin when her mind exploded with lust and curiosity. "You wanna watch me fuck you, love?" I asked, grasping her legs and then spreading them wider and pinning them against her stomach.

Slowly, I sank into her again and again, licking my lips at the sight of the feral look that crossed her face as her eyes locked on where we were joined.

"Jesus, that's..."

"Yeah."

It was too much. All of it. Watching her watch us, the feel of just how tight she was this way, and the sight of her hand snaking down her stomach in order to touch herself was overload. I could feel the tips of her fingers brush against my cock every time I moved inside of her, and my begging began.

"Oh, baby...come for me again. With me. Together."

When her insides fluttered around me, I tried to ride out her spasms, but it was impossible. With a few more deep thrusts, I buried myself to the hilt, coming hard, expletives erupting from me against my will. Setting her legs down, I didn't bother to pull out of her. I wanted to stay forever buried in her, surrounded by her, but I knew it wouldn't last.

Bracing my elbows on either side of her head, I dropped kisses to every inch of her face, grinning when it stopped being sweet to her and started being silly, causing an adorable giggle to shake us both. I brushed her hair out of her face, finally placing just one more kiss to her smiling lips.

"It's a good thing we stayed out here. That was not something I need the house to hear," Bella chuckled.

I groaned, nodding in agreement. It was bad enough with just the family, but with the Denali clan hanging around for the last day or so, it had been impossible to be alone with her – too many listening super-hearing ears, too many curious minds, and too many frustrated conversations concerning the Volturi.

I gazed around us, smirking at her little show of temper and destruction. "You know, the humans could really use something like this in the construction industry. Do you think you could level an old building?"

"Shut up," she laughed, shaking her head. "Maybe if I was mad enough..."

I chuckled, kissed her once more, and then sighed in utter contentment, despite the looming visit from Aro. "You're going to do just fine, sweetheart. When push comes to shove, I have a feeling you'll know exactly how to handle yourself."

"We aren't doing anything wrong," she stated softly.

"No, sweet girl, we aren't," I agreed, "but Aro only sees what he wants to. We have to show him and those around him that we are following their rules, their guidelines."

"And if they still don't listen?" she asked, running her fingers slowly through my hair.

I grimaced, dropping my lips to her forehead and admitting for the first time how I really felt. "And if they don't listen... I'll kill them all for threatening you. Royalty or not, they don't deserve to breathe the same air as you, much less take you against your will. I won't have you go through what I did. I refuse."

"Edward..."

"I mean it," I stated, shrugging a shoulder and finally sitting up. I brought her with me, skimming my hands down her hair, over her shoulders, and cupping her face. "You don't need to see the things they do. They are the exact opposite of Carlisle...in every way imaginable. There's no compassion, no debates on God, and there's no sympathy for anyone. It's a cruel life. I will do everything I can to protect you...and the family."

"Together?" she verified, her brow wrinkling with worry.

"Yes, together. I won't lose you." I kissed her lips quickly but paused when I could hear Jasper's mind.

_I hate to break you two up, but Alice has seen something. We need you back at the house. She needs you to see, Edward._

"What is it?" Bella asked.

"We have to get back. Alice had another vision," I told her, standing up and offering her a hand.

We dressed quickly, and Bella pulled her hair up into a ponytail. When she was ready, she offered her hand. "I hope it's something good, like Aro's ship caught on fire," she whispered sarcastically.

"Me, too," I chuckled, kissing the back her hand. "Though, somehow, I doubt it."

She laughed but shrugged one shoulder. "Okay, let's go see what she's got," she sighed, taking off in a run.

With my own sigh of regret, impatience, and...fear...I immediately followed after her.

**~oOo~**

**A/N... So we now know how Aro found out all about Carlisle's family...way before he sent Edward to bring them back. He's been plotting this for quite some time now. Hmm? And we got to see a little peek into Bella's power. **

**I need to thank JenRar for always making this a helluva lot smoother. For GooberLou's and inkedupmom's pre-reading. **

**I can't promise the next post on this, but I am already working on the next chapter. I'm doing my best to get this finished for you guys. Just bear with me, please. I won't abandon it. I've never done it before, and I don't plan to start now. :) Let me know what you think. Until next time... Mooches, Deb. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N... This chapter came a little quicker than the last, but still...I'm sorry for the delay. Many of you have asked how long this will end up being. As of right now, it's looking like 10 chapters total. Give or take one. I'm aiming for a certain point, but sometimes, the characters get...wordy on me. LOL So... anyway, this chapter comes with a little Vamp-Violence Warning. **

**~oOo~**

Chapter 7

**BPOV**

For the first time ever, I wasn't terrified of my own power. Concerned? Yes, always. But scared? No. How Edward knew exactly what to say and do, I had no idea. But whatever it was totally worked. I knew _how_ to use my shield, but I just couldn't always control it. It would frustrate me to no end, but that only increased my inability to manipulate it because my emotions played a huge factor.

As Edward and I made our way back home, my mind tried to focus on the calm, the good, because there was no telling what Alice had seen. Instead of narrowing in on thoughts of Aro and wars and whatever could happen to Carlisle or my family, I relived the last few minutes with Edward.

He'd been absolutely beautiful standing in the dying light of the day, completely naked in front of me. Just...perfect in every way – his soul laid bare, his muscles twitching, trying to hold back, and his now amber eyes swirling to a deep, wanting black. There was something so soothing about the feel of skin on skin, where nothing came between us except the air around us, and even that was filled with the scent of the two of us combined – floral and clean and perfect. As I lost myself to the memory of his cock twitching against my stomach as Edward held me, the sound of a shattering tree snapped me back to the here and now. I stopped running to see what had happened.

"Shit," Edward hissed, fighting a smile as he glared down at a small sapling that lay destroyed on the forest floor. When he finally met my gaze, he chuckled. "You're killing me, love."

My hand flew to my mouth because I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be embarrassed. "Sorry," I said softly, barely keeping the giggle out of it. "I was trying to stay calm..."

"_That_ keeps you calm?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Thinking of..." His hand gestured between the two of us, but he didn't finish his statement, which only caused the laugh I'd been holding back to escape.

"It's not so much the _act_ as the feelings around it that keeps me calm, Edward. I'm sorry." I grinned at his unabashed smirk but offered, "I can shield it if it bothers you."

"No!" he gushed, suddenly closing the distance between us so that he was standing right in front of me. "No, leave your mind open to me. Always, if you wish. I'm just not used to seeing myself in someone's mind that way."

I smiled, cupping his face. "How do others see you?"

"You don't want to know," he muttered wryly, rolling his eyes and taking my hand while guiding us toward home at a human pace.

Giggling, I squeezed his hand. "Try me."

He groaned, glancing down at me. "Why can't I tell you no?" he asked, grinning when I laughed again. "Fine, beautiful... They are usually these fantastical scenarios that would never happen. They'll attach me to some sort of...movie plot or book they've read. Human women are colorful and detailed in their daydreams. Men, not so much."

"And how do you think I see you?"

Edward's face changed from amused to almost reverent as he gazed down at me. "There are no words, Bella. You see me so clearly, yet so differently than I see myself. Words like comfort and home and love always seem to swirl around in your mind when you imagine just my face. You see me as the other half of you. 'Everything' is another word that you think often."

I stopped him just before we stepped into the backyard, kissing his cheek. "Yup, that sounds about right." I pulled back just a bit, gazing up into disbelieving eyes. "Don't stand there and tell me you don't feel it, too, baby."

"Yeah, but you're..."

"Just as flawed as you are. Hush." I kissed his lips this time to shut him up. "You're extremely handsome, Edward, but your heart and mind are beautiful, too."

"Looks are our weapon in this life, Bella," he scoffed.

I laughed. "You forget I've seen those one or two pictures of you as a human that Carlisle saved for you. Yup, cute then, too. Say thank you, and shut up."

He grinned, and it was stunning, almost blinding in its pure boyish joy. "Thank you, sweetheart," he sang sarcastically.

"You're welcome," I chuckled, tugging him through the last line of trees and into the yard.

What I was grateful for was that small distracting moment. It helped settle the last of my nerves and prepare me for the sight on the back deck. The whole family looked...stressed the hell out. Alice was practically rocking back and forth in a chair off to the side, but everyone else kept casting worried glances her way. Her eyes were closed, her mouth set in a tight line.

Carlisle met us at the steps, speaking quickly and softly. "Alice won't tell us what she's seen, only that she wanted you two here. I think she wants you to see what she sees," he told Edward.

Edward nodded, releasing my hand, and then took a chair next to Alice. "Alice, let me see," he murmured to her.

Her eyes didn't open, but her rocking ceased.

I had a feeling that all their playing around with thoughts and visions and decisions were about to be put to the utmost use. Edward's head tilted just a bit, a small yet evil smile quirked up the corners of his mouth, and his brow wrinkled as he saw whatever it was that Alice was showing him.

"Again," he muttered. After a moment, he asked, "And what about this?"

It was the strangest conversation I'd ever seen, but I could tell that they were working every angle they possibly could before telling the rest of us because they didn't want any doubts as to what _could_ happen. Even though full of people, the entire deck was quiet. We were all giving Alice and Edward the space they needed.

"If she didn't go?" he asked Alice, who's eyes finally opened.

"She has to," she answered, shrugging a shoulder. "It has to be you, her, and Carlisle. I don't see any other way. But if you go, then that reduces his numbers by four. They're underestimating us."

"I see that," Edward sighed wearily, finally gazing around to the rest of us, only to land on Carlisle. "Aro still thinks Bella resides in the city. Alice can't really see his decisions because they haven't met, but she can see Felix. Aro has decided to send the trackers, Demetri and James, with Felix and two others after Bella. They're determined to have her as a weapon."

Carlisle let out a heavy breath, his hand landing firmly on my shoulder. "No."

"Exactly," Edward agreed, his harsh gaze softening just a little as it met mine. "They've already called Felix, and he's decided to stay in hiding, though they don't know he won't show up. However, there's no other way around it. We have to find them first, and it has to be the three of us. No matter what decision we made, it turns out...poorly. The rest of the family must stay here." Looking around at the rest of the group, he continued. "Bella, Carlisle, and I have to head into the city tonight."

"Poorly...how?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Edward glared at the ground, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and shaking his head slowly. "Demetri can find me. That's a fact. He knows me, knows my mind. I have no choice but to go. Otherwise, I'll lead them straight here, and we aren't prepared. Sending Jasper and Emmett leaves the house vulnerable, but not taking you results in... Well..." He ran nervous hand through his hair, but it was Alice that blurted out the answer.

"Edward disappears. Permanently," she stated, her voice filled with emotion.

"Then I'm going," I said firmly, shrugging a shoulder. "You need my shield. It's the only way, isn't it?" I waited just long enough for Edward and Alice to both give small, nervous nods. "And why Carlisle?"

"His presence changes the outcome for some reason. He's a legend in Volterra, so it's quite possible that he'll knock the two trackers off their game just a little," Edward answered.

I gazed up at Carlisle. "I can't lose him," I whispered.

He smiled sadly, leaning in to kiss my forehead. "Me, either," he murmured against my skin. He pulled back, looking over to Edward and Alice. "The removal of the trackers is beneficial?"

"Yes," they both replied.

"If somehow, we escape from Aro's meeting, then he will send them after us to finish us – even if we separate. It's why Felix isn't coming. He won't do it, won't go along with it. He respects us too much," Alice explained.

Carlisle let out another heavy sigh but finally nodded once. "Okay," he said, squeezing my shoulder. "You and Edward get ready. Meet me downstairs in ten minutes. We'll make our way into the city tonight." He rubbed his chin in thought, finally locking gazes with Edward. "Perhaps you should warn your friend Felix, son. Let him know what Alice has seen."

"I will," Edward vowed, pulling out his phone, but his head suddenly whipped around to look at glazed-eyed Alice.

When she came up out of whatever vision she was having, she muttered, "We didn't try that..."

"It works, though," he mused softly, clawing nervously at his hair as he shot Jasper a wary glance.

Alice walked up to Carlisle. "I'm going, too."

"Dammit," Jasper growled, and suddenly, the back deck was filled with frustration, worry, fear. "Alice..."

"I have to go." Her voice clearly left no room for argument. "And you have to stay here. It's the only way, Jasper."

I'd seen this type of disagreement between them before – silent and filling the environment around them with everything they were feeling all at one time: anger, worry, confidence, and an intimate feeling of love and adoration. They didn't really fight like Emmett and Rose, which was really loud and colorful, because it usually was over before it began, but I could see – and feel – that it was taking everything Jasper had not to lose control.

Finally, he glared heatedly at Edward. "You make sure she comes back to me. You know these men, know what they're capable of."

"On my life," Edward vowed solemnly, his brow furrowed and his jaw flexing as he gritted his teeth. "Not one of them will be out of contact," he stated, tapping his temple. "But adding Alice to this makes it quicker, cleaner. She sees us all back just after sunrise."

Jasper's nostrils flared, his fists balled up tightly, and he nodded to Edward. "Fine." He spun to his mate, saying, "Alice, let's get you ready."

~oOo~

_Do you think we'd be better off without the Volturi?_ I asked Edward silently as we stood watch over my old apartment building. In fact, we were standing in the same spot I'd found him almost four months prior – the rooftop of the building across the alleyway.

Edward's nose wrinkled adorably as he mulled over my question, but he slowly started shaking his head. "No. I've seen what ungoverned immortals can do, not to mention the few of them that think we're the top of the food chain. Those are the ones that need ruling over. They want to out us, take over the world, use our strength and power to assume control over humans, treat them as cattle."

I grimaced, having never thought of that aspect of things.

Edward chuckled softly once, glancing over at me. "Of course you hadn't. The mere idea is ridiculous. Even when my diet was different, I never even considered it. The repercussions would be...astounding. First, the humans would fight back – a war to end all wars. And sadly, they wouldn't win. Not to mention the weaponry that's at their fingertips would make for...itchy trigger fingers. The whole planet would be destroyed. Humans, when panicked, can act way too rashly. It would ruin everything." He paused for a moment, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "Secondly, who would rule? We would fight amongst ourselves in order to be...for a lack of better term...king. The idea, while intriguing for only a moment, would lead to devastating consequences." He sighed, shaking his head. "Bella, we are the top of the food chain, but in order to remain so, we have to stay the world's dirty secret."

I nodded, gazing out over the tops of the buildings surrounding us. It was quiet, close to two o'clock in the morning. I liked my little neighborhood, and I missed it. It was a few quiet streets in the West Village, not far from SoHo. I missed buying my morning paper from George at the stand on the corner. I missed my little landlady, Miss Esther. And damn if I didn't miss the New York Public Library, which was only a short train ride away to Midtown. I'd come to love the city. Despite my physical differences, they just didn't matter here. No one cared. Everyone was so busy and already filled with self-preservation that they didn't give me a second glance. I loved that; it was almost normal.

Edward chuckled again, kissing my head. "Soon, love. We'll get you back here."

"That's probably not true," I sighed, smiling sadly up at him. "I have a feeling we'll move after this is all over...if we all survive it."

His nostrils flared, his eyes darkened, and I could see that the mere idea of failing was not something he was willing to even entertain. "We'll survive it, Bella. We have to." His voice had lowered to almost a growl, but he locked his gaze out over the city. "You asked if we would be better off without the Volturi, and no, we wouldn't be, but at the same time, the brothers have ruled a very, very long time. They've become...spoiled, complacent, arrogant, and narrow-minded. They have no patience for anyone that may think differently than they do."

"I thought they respected Carlisle," I gasped.

"They do," he said with a nod, "but that was a long time ago. They really fear him. He represents a way of thinking that they can't conceive, nor are willing to try, but they also see the results he achieves with his lifestyle – living almost comfortably with humans, interacting with them, and actually developing relationships with them. The Volturi rule with violence and threats. They know that Carlisle could do it by simply earning respect. There are still some in the castle that remember liking him very much. Not that he'd want to rule, mind you." Edward snickered softly, shrugging a shoulder. "But he could."

"He'd hate it," I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the thought. Carlisle was a simple man in certain respects. He loved his family, his wife, he loved practicing medicine, and he loved all that he could get out of this life. "Just...hate it," I reiterated.

"Yes, he would..." he agreed, his head tilting just a little as his sentence cut off. "Demetri found me," he whispered, turning to me. "You ready?"

I nodded, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth. "You won't leave my sight?" I asked, because Alice's vision of Edward disappearing worried me to no end.

"No." His voice was firm yet comforting in its soft, sexy growl. "Not if I can help it. But if we do get separated...you open this mind to me. I need to hear you," he ordered, gently tapping my temple as I agreed.

"But what about Demetri?" I asked, because Edward had told me to guard my mind around him.

"It won't matter after tonight...if we're lucky. Besides, no matter what, I'll be wherever you are anyway," he explained, his temper barely under control.

"And Alice and Carlisle are ready?"

"Yes. They're where they need to be." Edward cupped my face. "You can do this."

I nodded fervently. "I have to."

Edward kissed me but pulled away just as quickly as he'd started. "Let's go."

The plan was to keep the two trackers and the other two immortals with them on the constant move until we had them where we wanted them – surrounded. We were evenly matched in numbers, but Edward told us that we had the advantage in experience and talent. He knew Demetri and James, so he could almost plan according to what he knew they'd do, but with my shield, Edward's mind reading, and Alice's visions, we were way ahead of them. Edward knew that Demetri would find him, knew that James would split off and that they'd worry when they couldn't get ahold of Felix – whom we'd already warned.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, we made our way farther south into SoHo. We needed privacy, somewhere that wouldn't harm humans if things got ugly. The only place I could think of was a closed up building several blocks from my apartment. It once housed a few businesses – a small jewelry shop on the first floor, a law office on the next three floors, and finally, an internet business. All of them had unfortunately had to relocate due to the stumble the economy was taking. The owner of the building was losing everything. The building was in foreclosure, which made it perfect.

Using the shadows to our advantage, we hid on a rooftop across from the building we were leading everyone to, our fingers linked. Edward gazed over the side of the building we were on to the sidewalk below. An evil smile crept up his face, and he leaned to my ear.

"Alice says they've changed tactics," he said, his voice barely making a sound. "Carlisle is well hidden for the moment. She says James isn't far behind us, and Demetri is coming up the sidewalk. He's already locked onto me. The two unknowns will be aiming for you, but she can't see them making a decision yet. I want your shield up and strong, love. Hear me?"

I nodded, opening my mind to him. _Maybe we should split but only inside the building. Let the two we don't know think they have me. Alice can help me, and Carlisle can help you with James and Demetri._

He paused tilting his head. I could see by the tension in his jaw that he hated the idea of throwing Alice and me to the wolves, so to speak, but I could tell that he was listening to Alice from wherever she was hiding. Once again, they were playing with decisions and outcomes.

He nodded once after a few seconds. "According to Alice, in order for that to work, I've got to go in from the street...you from the roof. She'll meet you there. She's texting Carlisle now."

"Okay," I said with a tentative nod. Leaning in, I kissed him softly. "Love you, Edward."

"As I love you. Always," he breathed back, his eyes darkening. "And no matter what they tell you, love, we've done nothing wrong. Don't let them manipulate you."

He waited until I nodded. Then he kissed me one more time and then jumped down to the alleyway below, landing with barely a sound. With one more glance around, I leaped from one roof to the next. The very second my feet touched down, I was tackled onto my back and pinned to the rooftop next to one of the air conditioners.

Looming over me was a sandy-haired immortal that looked like he'd been changed around the age of nineteen or twenty. His blood red eyes carried hatred, determination, and fear. The latter emotion made me curious and led me to believe that he was fairly new to his...job, for a lack of better words.

"Got you!" he growled in a laugh.

"You think so, do you?" I countered, wearing my own grin at the same time I brought my knee up to his balls.

A sickening crunch echoed out around us, joined by a sorrowful groan. Some reactions ingrained in me had nothing to do with my immortality or my shield. Some things were the result of many, many lessons from Charlie when I was human. The fact that he'd be proud of me made me smile softly to myself.

The boy rolled off of me, and I spun just in time to bring my shield up as another immortal – though this one looking much older – launched himself at me. He bounced back a few steps just as his friend got back up on his feet. A rumble shook the building, the sound of cracking wood and plaster followed by a low growl I couldn't mistake anywhere. Edward.

I gasped, keeping my shield in place. There was a part of me that wanted to forgo the fight with the two guys in front of me, my heart screaming at me to help my mate, but before I could make that decision, Alice landed lightly by my side.

"Now, now, boys," she sang sarcastically. "I think we should keep things fair, don't you?" she asked them, tilting her head just a little.

Somehow, I think their sense of fair was different than hers, but I said nothing. My ears strained to hear Edward again.

"He's fine. He's holding his own. Carlise's on his way." Alice's voice was calm, almost amused, but she glanced over at me.

At the mention of Carlisle's name, the two immortals shot nervous glances to one another. They shifted uneasily on their feet, but said nothing as they crouched low.

"Okay," I barely breathed, leaving her gaze and giving our opponents the once-over. I knew in order to end them, I'd need to lower my shield. I had to be able to touch them. "Ready?" I asked, my breathing increasing.

She laughed, a light, easy sound that contradicted the things happening around us. "To quote Emmett... We _so_ got this," she chuckled, holding out her fist.

I couldn't help but grin; her mood, her laugh...it was infectious. Bumping her fist with my own, we then turned to the two guys. My shield came down with a slight push of air. The second it was removed, Alice dove for the older-looking man. The younger of the two was left for me. He wasn't expecting me to attack first, so when I wrapped him up to slam him to the ground, his growl rumbled between us. We landed poorly, though. The glass of a skylight shattered and gave way. We fell hard into the middle of what looked like it used to be an executive office of the top floor.

He shoved me off of him, looking pissed off. "So that's the way it is?" When I didn't answer him, he growled, "Fine, bitch. You're going down."

~oOo~

**EPOV**

As I landed on the sidewalk, my mind absorbed everything around me – the hum of the streetlight, Alice's and Bella's thoughts, and finally, the mind I'd been searching for...Demetri. He wasn't far. In fact, he was right up the street, so I made sure to leave my scent along the front steps of the building, around the side, and all over the basement doorway.

The lock gave way to my strength, and I stepped into the darkness of the building. Alice had already disengaged the alarm and turned off the power. We didn't need any more attention from the humans than we could possibly avoid. Besides, the poor guy that was losing this place was about to have his wish come true. Vandalism and most likely arson would be the reasons behind a rather large insurance pay-out. The thought made me smile.

I wound my way through the basement, heading toward the first floor. It was then that I finally heard movement below me, Demetri's mind filled with excitement that he'd found me. He was sure that Aro would reward him for a job well done. James's mind, however, was just now coming into range, which meant that soon I would be outnumbered.

_You can't hide from me, Edward,_ Demetri thought rather loudly to me. _Aro's not happy with his favorite..._boy_._

He was baiting me. Grinning, I shook my head. My frozen age of seventeen had always been a bone of contention in the castle. I wasn't the only one stuck at that age, but I was the only one changed by Carlisle at that age. More than once had I defended my maker, most of the time resulting in rather violent fights.

"She will come with us, Edward," Demetri taunted, his voice low enough no human could have heard it, but I did. "You've been labeled a traitor, Masen. No one is buying this mating ruse Cullen's spewing. Aro still wants the girl and now...your head."

I darted into the closest office because his voice was just down the stairs.

"When Aro's through with her, after Cullen's whole coven is destroyed, he's handing her over to James," he chuckled.

My vision blurred with my anger and hatred. My death would shatter Bella – something Alice had already foreseen – but James would pick her apart piece by piece. If I'd have been thinking clearly, I would've realized that the family would never allow it, that we weren't alone, but the mere thought of James touching my mate caused all rational thought to escape me.

"No!" I snarled, erupting from the room in which I was hiding. I tackled Demetri into the office across the hall. "No one touches her," I growled as we collided with the wall behind him.

Plaster and wood frames gave way easily under our strength. We landed awkwardly, but I still maintained the advantage for just the moment. I'd taken him by surprise. Kicking me off of him, Demetri shot to his feet. Kicks, punches, and bites flew my way, but I deflected them all. Demetri might've been an amazing tracker, but his thoughts were still crystal clear. I saw every last plan of attack before he actually executed them. He grew frustrated, backing off a bit.

The sound of shattering glass several floors up caught my attention, making me seek out Bella's mind. She was holding her own, though from the look of things had fallen through a glass skylight. There was a part of me that needed to go to her, but two other minds were growing closer. I just wasn't sure which one would get to me first.

My attention snapped back to Demetri when he took advantage of my brief idiocy. Rushing at me, he slammed us into the window, glass shattering down to the sidewalk.

"Give up, Edward," Demetri grunted. "Even if you get away, Aro's coming for you. For that whole coven of yours."

I grinned evilly. "I hope so."

That answer rattled him a bit, which allowed me to kick him off of me. Bolting for the stairs once again, I made my way closer to Bella. I needed to make sure she was okay. Her mind was flickering in and out of mine, and that made me think she was struggling to maintain her shield. However, Alice's was perfect, telling me that they were both fine.

I made it to the third floor before he caught up to me, crashing in through the window from the outside. He'd climbed up the building. More walls and discarded furniture gave way under our struggles, Demetri landing on top of me. It was then that he froze, his eyes catching something just past my face.

"Shit," he hissed, glaring at my shoulder. My shirt had ripped, and Bella's mark was visible for all to see. "You are mated."

I didn't say anything as I shoved him off of me. He sat back hard on his ass, his mouth hanging open. I held no ill will toward Demetri. When I'd worked for Aro, we'd always gotten along. Now that Bella was his next target, I wasn't sure I could trust him. I eyed him warily as he sat in shock.

"Aro lied," he murmured, looking like a kid that just found out the tooth fairy was his mother. His thoughts were filled with his last conversation with Aro. He hadn't wanted to believe I was a traitor, but he'd listened to Aro. It was lie after lie, but Demetri's faith in his master was crumbling. If he lied about something so simple as this, then what else was Aro lying about?

"Yeah, he has a tendency to do that," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I'm not a traitor. He used me, Demetri...just like he's using you."

"But he can't touch you. If you're mated, then..."

"Exactly," I said, standing up onto my feet.

"My family has done nothing wrong," we heard from the doorway.

I'd heard Carlisle's mind approaching. He was willing to step in and help, but when he'd heard the turn of events, he'd decided to wait patiently. However, he stood in front of us, barely holding onto his temper, his mind reeling with several different paths of thinking. He was relieved that I was okay, he was worried about the girls – who were still battling their opponents – and he was livid at Aro for all the trouble and deception.

"Carlisle," Demetri breathed, his eyes widening at the sight of an immortal so much older than him. He knew of my father, having been a newborn just about the time that Carlisle had decided to leave Volterra. The legends, the stories, they were all new back then and permanently imbedded in his mind.

"You can't have them," Carlisle stated, his voice taking on a commanding tone that he rarely had to use.

"Aro's called for them...for you," Demetri countered, not knowing what steps to take next. "He says you're building an army...that Edward has turned against him."

I shook my head, taking a deep breath and letting it out, but my mind alerted. My skin prickled at the sound of James's mind. He was in the building next door, listening to us but watching Bella. He knew his target when he saw her.

"Fuck... Bella," I growled, pushing past Demetri.

For a split second, I thought to tell him to call James off, but I knew better. James was already convinced he was alone in this. He could hear our conversation with Demetri. In fact, he couldn't wait to take Bella and the news of Demetri's betrayal back to Aro. I could not let that happen.

The sound of ripping immortal flesh met my ears as I flew up the stairs. I could hear Carlisle and Demetri behind me, but nothing could've slowed me down. Not even the sound of Alice's mind.

_Edward, wait! It's a trap! He knew you were listening for his mind!_ Alice was frantically showing me James's decision, but just as I saw myself come out onto the rooftop in her vision, James had already landed next to Bella. The door ripped off its hinges as I launched out the door and straight at him. I barely registered the dismembered bodies of the immortals the girls had been fighting.

James tried to grab at Bella, but her shield was firmly in place, and my pride in her skyrocketed. I couldn't read her mind, but I did note the look of shock on her face as I landed so hard onto James that we slid into the outer wall of the roof, destroying it and sending bricks and rubble to the alleyway below.

"She's preeeetty, Eddie," James laughed, despite the fact that I was practically hanging him upside down over the street below.

The fall wouldn't kill him, but at his basic core, James was a coward. He'd run away if he thought he was losing a fight. And that I couldn't have. He'd heard way too much from Demetri, assumed he could earn more favors from Aro if he took back everything he'd heard.

"Oh, boy," he continued to chuckle, his mind filling with vile and disgusting thoughts about the things he'd do to Bella once Aro handed her over. "I bet that's some sweet shit right there...I can't wait!"

"I'll fucking kill you," I growled low.

James's legs kicked at me, sending me flying toward the edge of the building, but I caught myself, using my strength to catapult me back to the middle of the roof and landing in front of him.

"Bella, love?" I panted, not breaking my gaze away from James's bright red, angry eyes as we circled one another. However, his mind was frantic and scared.

"Yeah?"

"Shield the whole rooftop."

I could hear a small smile in her voice when she said, "Done, Edward."

"That's my girl," I said with a grin, tilting my head at James. "You know, James, I was willing to discuss this, but I see by your thoughts that you're not going to listen. Now...you _can't_ leave."

Alice's mind was whirling through possibilities, but Bella's was still closed to me. James was searching every possible scenario in order to either escape or attack and was pacing like a trapped wild animal. He tested each side of the building, running into an invisible barrier each time. However, Carlisle and Demetri were in a deep discussion. I caught words like betrayal, family, and arrogance, but my main priority was getting more and more agitated.

"Edward will have to kill him to stop him. He's never been quite...stable," Demetri muttered. "I don't know why Aro uses him. He causes more messes than we clean up."

"Perhaps something went wrong with his change," Carlisle mused, which would be the stance he'd take on it. I almost rolled my eyes. "My son, though... He has the right to defend his mate."

"By all means," Demetri chuckled.

It was a fight-or-flight moment for James, but since he couldn't escape and his only ally just threw him to the enemy without a second thought, his only alternative was to fight, though he always fought dirty. He aimed for the girls first, but Alice was quicker, having seen it coming. She and Bella avoided his attack by dodging to the side in a blur of movement. Bella's shield around the edge of the building knocked him right back to me. Grabbing him roughly, my punches connected with his face, his stomach, and his throat, sending him reeling back but only to dive right back into the fight. Where Demetri's thoughts were clear, calculated, James's were not. He relied on instinct to fight. I didn't always know which way he was going to attack, but I could quickly adjust.

Focusing solely on his thoughts, I let my own instincts take over. The rooftop rumbled with each kick, punch, and body slam. I caught a flickering thought, countered it, but it was too late, James did the opposite of his mind allowed me to see. He landed heavily on my back, causing us to collapse to the rooftop, his arms firmly around my head. I could feel the grip of his arms tightening, getting ready to kill me.

Bella yelled, "No!" at the same time that Alice called for everyone to get down.

That familiar push of air preceded her shield. I flinched, knowing that she'd pulled everything she had from the roof to shoot out at James. Instantly, the pressure around my neck released, and the heavy sound of thumps reverberated through my body. She'd severed him in two.

I rolled onto my back, muttering, "I should have killed him back in the South. What the hell was I thinking?"

Demetri's chuckle met my ears, and a hand appeared in front of me to help me up. "Maybe you were thinking that he was just the next new toy for Aro." He tugged me to my feet with a grin as Carlisle took care of James, removing his head swiftly. "Or maybe you were trying to put me out of a job."

"May..." My words were cut off because suddenly, a brunette blur flew into my bare chest, my shirt long destroyed by the fight. Bella's arms and legs wrapped around me, her breathing heavy. "I'm okay, love," I whispered in her ear, walking away just a little with her clinging to me like a second skin.

"Promise?" she mumbled into my neck, and I couldn't help but smile. She pulled back, her fingers tracing over my face, my neck, and my chest. Sweet, worried, golden eyes met mine. "You're okay?"

I could only nod as she wound her arms around my head, bringing my forehead to hers. Her worry was still radiating off of her, but I was lost to the scent of her, the darkening of her eyes. If she could've cried, she'd have been sobbing. And that I just couldn't have.

"Easy, sweet girl," I crooned, ignoring everyone else as they cleaned up the roof. Brushing her hair from her face, I couldn't resist teasing her. "I had him just where I wanted him, you know."

She opened her mouth to speak, her eyes blackening to pitch.

"I'm kidding, love," I chuckled, kissing her quickly before that deadly temper of hers turned on me. "Thank you," I whispered, my head falling to her shoulder as my arms squeezed her tighter.

Suddenly, I was grateful for Alice's visions. Extremely grateful.

_You're welcome, Edward_, Alice thought to me, but I'd barely heard her. Bella was my main priority at the moment because she was still a little shaken – though, no one but me could see it because she was keeping it all silent.

_Dammit, Edward... If I freaked out over this, then how in the hell am I supposed to focus when Aro comes?_

I pulled away from her neck after placing a long, slow, loving kiss to the skin. "I trust you completely, Bella. It's that simple. We all do."

She pursed her lips at me, rolling her eyes, but she didn't argue. My eyes stayed on hers, but we both heard Demetri and Carlisle.

"Definitely mated," Demetri sighed wearily, and through his thoughts, I could see how he saw Bella and me – completely wrapped up in each other.

Carlisle quickly explained everything. How I'd come here to do my job, how Alice had seen it all coming, and how everything had changed when I'd realized Bella was my mate. He even told him about the secret blackmail deal Aro had given me all those years ago. All of it pissed Demetri off to no end.

"Now what the hell am I supposed to do? I can't in good conscience separate them, but Aro has already passed judgment on you," he groaned.

"You'd be breaking one law in order to follow another, but the judgment is based on untruths," Carlisle pointed out. "Aro's still planning on a visit to me?"

My head shot up when Demetri gasped. "How did you know?"

I smiled at Alice's sweet laugh but turned to Bella. "Set your feet down, baby," I told her softly. When her toes touched back down to the rooftop, I kept her hand in mine, joining the conversation. "Alice is very talented," I told him.

_A true seer?_ he asked silently, and I nodded. I could see by his mind that he was trying to look at the entire situation logically.

"As is this young immortal," Demetri said with a smile and a bow of his head to Bella. "I can see why Aro would want you, but you'd be useless to him unless you were there of your own accord. I can't imagine she'd do that against you."

"Bella, this is Demetri," I introduced them.

Bella didn't shake his hand, but she did nod his way.

"She wouldn't," Alice added. "Aro would've used the family as a threat."

Demetri let out another long sigh, shaking his head slowly. "Is this why Felix won't return my calls? Did he come see you?"

I kept my face impassive. "I can't answer for Felix."

"Stop protecting your old friend, Edward! I need to know that I'm not alone in knowing the truth," Demetri snapped, rolling his eyes. "Did he come to you or not?"He glared at me, switching to thoughts. _I need to know, Masen. If Aro is breaking his own laws, then this could mean a complete breakdown in structure. Tell me!_

My nostrils flared, and I gritted my teeth, but I knew he was right. "Yes. He's hiding from you."

Demetri snorted in to one rough laugh. "I can find him."

"And what will you do to him?" Bella growled. "He's done nothing wrong, either."

"Just talk to him," he explained calmly, though his mind registered Bella's beauty, her temper, and fierce loyalty, deciding that she was a perfect match for me. "I need to know what he knows, Bella. I can't have the men who keep the laws breaking them. If that's the case, then we'd have to call for a removal of Aro from his post, and that won't be easy. He's ruled us for centuries."

"No, it won't," Carlisle murmured, shaking his head. "In order to do that, you'd have to have Marcus's and Caius's backing on it. No one has ever called for a vote of 'no confidence' in Aro. Caius, yes. Aro, no."

"Exactly," Demetri confirmed. "I need proof...and really, more than just Felix."

"But if you don't have it, then Aro will execute you for treason for even suggesting it." I sighed, rubbing my face, only to claw at my hair in frustration. "All of us."

The rooftop was filled with several different trains of thought, but my eyes shot to Alice. She was testing what would happen if Demetri located Felix. She quickly switched to the meeting of Aro in our own backyard, and finally, added the knowledge that Aro had lost four men tonight. Five, if he counted Felix.

"Oh, boy," I groaned, watching it all unfold. "It won't matter if it was in defense, will it?"

"No, he'll consider tonight to be a 'spectacle,'" Alice replied, grimacing. "It seems he can twist anything around into rule breaking."

"He can," Demetri, Carlisle, and I all answered her.

Demetri shook his head and surveyed his surroundings. His thoughts were going so fast that I almost couldn't follow them. Finally, he looked back to Carlisle.

"You have four days," he told him. "Aro will come for you. He knows where you are. That should give me just enough time to find Felix...maybe others. I have to avoid Aro's touch until then, but I'll claim that I'm looking for Felix, fearing something happened to him since he didn't show tonight. I'll track him down. That should give us enough time to come back to you."

"What if you don't make it?" Bella asked, and I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her from behind, pressing kisses to her head.

"You'll have to answer for the charges against you, but I swear I'll do everything in my power to be there to give witness," Demetri vowed. His thoughts were solemn, filling with names of vampires he thought he could trust. He turned to me and then Carlisle. "You aren't the only one Aro's pulled this with. The first time, I was willing to overlook it. This time...I can't."

"You're putting yourself in serious danger," Carlisle told him with a slow shake of his head. "Is there anyone besides Felix that you can trust?"

"Yes," Demetri said with a nod. "There's an Irish coven...and quite possibly the coven in Africa."

"The Russians?" I suggested.

"No, they're no help," Demetri laughed. "They'd love to see the Volturi completely destroyed. I don't want them ruined, but I think it's time for a change. And Vladimir and Stefan are...sleeping."

Bella's eyebrows shot up, as did Alice's.

I grinned, bending to Bella's ear. "The Russians are so old, been around so long that they can go years without feeding. It puts them in a sleep-like trance so that they can skip...generations of time."

Carlisle smirked at Bella's and Alice's shocked faces but then scanned the rooftop. "We need to clean this up. Burn the bodies." He turned to Demetri. "Go, we've got this. I want to make sure the fire doesn't spread to other buildings. We'll watch until it's under control."

Demetri's mind swirled around all that he'd heard about Carlisle, and he realized that it was all true. He was a calm, kind, level-headed immortal. He could see how he looked at me, Bella, and Alice, like we were actually his children. We weren't a coven; we were, indeed, a family. It practically radiated off of us.

_No wonder you defended him all these years,_ Demetri thought to me. _I can see now why. He's not afraid to stand up for what's right. Not even the Volturi brothers will do that._

I nodded once that I'd heard him.

"Four days," he reminded me, shaking my hand and then Carlisle's and Alice's. "Until then, lay low." When he shook Bella's hand, he wore a small smile as he told her it was nice to meet her before switching to his thoughts again. _Edward__, she's truly a beauty. You've mated for life, so try not to drive her insane. Is she worth fighting for? Worth changing everything for?_

I huffed a small laugh. "Yes. Everything...and then some."

"Good," he said with a smirk. "Four days." With that last reminder, he left us, jumping over the side of the building, his talent already homing in on Felix.

Gathering up all the destroyed vampires, we scattered them throughout the building before lighting them on fire. Carlisle insisted on making it look like arson so that suspicions would be kept to a minimum. We kept watch over the fire from a rooftop a few blocks down for a few minutes before I called 9-1-1, but Carlisle called home, relaying everything quickly and quietly.

When he ended the call, I leaned against the wall next to him, both of us watching the girls relive their fights with animated gestures, pride-filled smiles, and learned lessons for the next fight. It was the first time I'd seen them truly interact like that – talking over one another, giggling, just...being girls. Both women had their mind on the future problems with the Volturi, but for _one moment_, they wanted to ignore it.

_Now you see why I changed Bella?_ Carlisle thought to me with a soft chuckle, but he also showed me a glimpse of Alice prior to my girl stumbling into their lives. It was the same Alice, but muted, dull, and definitely not as bright and happy as the short thing I was currently witnessing. However, he showed me a human Bella, too, trudging around school, not fitting in, avoiding human boys like they were the plague. Bella accepted Alice at face value, and Alice loved her for it. It didn't matter than one was so different than the other. It hardly mattered that I was the basis for all of it. They were, to their very souls, the best of friends. True sisters.

I grinned, shaking my head. "Yeah, I get it. But there's more to it, and you know it, Carlisle."

"Maybe," he allowed with a smirk. _Yes, I wanted my son back, but I also wanted my family...whole._

I smiled over at him, nodding once that I'd heard him. Carlisle was convinced that together – all of us – were stronger, better, and much more capable than the Volturi. We just needed to show them. Demetri's call for a vote of "no confidence" made him nervous, but he was sure it was the right thing to do. Aro had betrayed too many of us for his liking.

When the sound of sirens finally met our ears, he said, "Come, let's get back home. I think we need to sit down and talk. All of us."

"Come on, my little warriors... Let's go," I chuckled, shaking my head at their laughter.

My smile fell away quickly as I gathered Bella to my side. I suddenly realized we only had four days to get ready. If Demetri didn't show, if the Volturi didn't believe us or didn't give as a chance to explain, then we were in for a much bigger, much nastier fight. And fight we would, because not even Carlisle was backing down this time.

**~oOo~**

**A/N... It seems Aro is pissing off all the wrong people. ;) So...now James is dead and Demetri is not what everyone expected. (I even caught Jen by surprise on that one. LOL) They have 4 days to lay low before the Volturi and all its guard show up on their doorstep. **

**What I've discovered about writing this Edward is that he's much more amicable when it comes to Bella. She's his equal. He doesn't flip out at the thought of her fighting, though he still wants to protect his mate. Canon Edward was almost paranoid. LOL ;) But we all love Original-ward, or we wouldn't be reading fanfic. ;)**

**I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this on the fly. And huge, sloppy mooches go to GooberLou and inkedupmom for pre-reading. MWAH to all of you. :)**

**Okay, leave me some love. I'm not sure when the next chapter will post, but I've got it pretty much plotted out, so hopefully not long. Until next time... Mooches, Deb. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N... I'm sorry this took so long, but once you read it, you'll understand that this took a bit of plotting out. I will give you this warning. There is a cliffie. However, Chapter 9 is almost finished, so you won't have long to wait. **

**I haven't dropped this story, as some of you worried that I had in your last reviews, but it is a complicated little thing. LOL And we're almost to the end of it. We're looking at 10 chapters, with the possibilities of an outtake. I haven't decided quite yet.**

**Just a brief recap... The Cullens have four days before the Volturi shows up on their doorstep. Demetri has decided to call for a vote of no confidence in the Volturi leader, Aro, and he's gone in search of Felix.**

**I'll let you get on with it. :)**

**~oOo~**

Chapter 8

**BPOV**

"You know," Emmett mused, wiping the rain off of his face, "we could lead this shit across the country. Hand them straight to the wolves. They've always been itchin' for a fight."

The ground rumbled and shook with the force of one immortal tackling another. Edward and Jasper were trying out new strategies, new techniques while the rest of us looked on. The two guys were fairly matched in fighting skills – almost even. Where Jasper felt Edward's emotions, used them, played them against him, Edward could read Jasper's mind, so not only could he see what attack methods were coming at him, he could see how his own emotions were being manipulated.

"It's not their fight," Carlisle stated calmly. "It would be unfair to involve them without warning. We can't just bring a war down on their land." He flinched when another collision vibrated the ground as Jasper and Edward continued to spar, but he smiled at the boys' laughter through it all. "Besides," he continued, looking back to Emmett, "we've got more support coming our way. I believe Jasper's contacted his old friends Peter and Charlotte, and I'm waiting to hear back from an old friend of mine."

"Draw, dammit!" Jasper laughed, shoving Edward off of him. "Any more, and the humans will know it's not thunder they hear in this storm."

I grinned at Edward's smug smile as he pushed his wet hair from his forehead before helping Jasper to his feet. They shoved at each other, and despite the impending visit from the Volturi, it was really good to see Edward fitting in with my brothers. I couldn't help but giggle silently when Edward waved Carlisle forward.

"That should be interesting," Alice muttered, wearing a wry smirk, peeking with one eye.

"No kidding," I laughed softly, though it died quickly as I looked over at her weary face. "Okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Nothing new...yet."

She'd begged me to shield her from all the minds and decisions that were being made on a continuous basis with so many of us around her, especially since we only had three days left before Aro was due to appear. Alice wanted to focus on Demetri, Felix, even Aro without the interruption of the second to second decisions behind everyone's training. So we sat off to the side against a large tree completely off everyone's radar – Edward's mind reading, Jasper's empathy, and everyone else's super hearing; we kept our voices low in order to not interfere.

Eventually, I would have to leave her because Edward needed to work with me. He needed to train without the ability to hear thoughts – something Carlisle had insisted on since his fight with James.

Alice opened both eyes, smiling as Edward and Carlisle circled one another, both wearing poker faces of concentration. In fact, the other fight between Rosalie and Tanya came to a standstill as everyone looked on. For a moment, I wondered if it was because this was the first time the two of them had faced off in over eighty years.

"It's been a long time since I've had to put you in your place," Carlisle taunted, smirking at his "oldest" son.

"I was a newborn then, Carlisle," Edward laughed, again clawing at his wet hair. "I could hear every mind within a five-mile radius. I've learned to filter that."

"Ten years old is no newborn, son. Look at Bella," he teased with a chuckle.

Edward scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Do not use your youngest, most gifted child against me. She's rare, and you know it."

That statement made us all laugh, and Edward shot me a quick wink as he continued to circle our father.

"What about that hot-headed temper of yours?" Carlisle countered with a laugh.

"No, that I still have," Edward said with a grin, dragging his tongue along his bottom lip.

In the blink of an eye, Edward launched himself at Carlisle. He was lithe and controlled, graceful and strong. He looked like a large cat on the prowl. Carlisle, on the other hand, was calm and easy in his movements, just barely dodging Edward's attack. It was fast and furious, their fight. Both men were using a different style against each other than they had against other opponents. It was like watching a chess match – move and counter, move and counter. Just when one had the other where they wanted, it would completely unravel, and they'd have to start over with whatever goal they were working toward in their minds.

Esme sat down beside me, leaning back against the tree. "They used to drive me crazy with this when I first joined them. This was before Rosalie."

Alice and I laughed but didn't take our eyes off the fight.

"Carlisle said that Edward had nervous, angry energy that he had to expel," she chuckled. "He didn't always give in, because he said Edward needed to learn to control that side of him, but when he did, I made them go far from the house."

Grinning, I nodded. I could well imagine her shooing them outside like playful boys.

"It was around that time that Carlisle bought Edward his piano." Her voice was wistful and sorrowful, and suddenly, the practice fight wasn't important.

Alice and I spun our gazes to her, and I knew my mouth was hanging open.

She smiled sadly because she knew Edward wouldn't go near that piano now. On more than one occasion, we'd caught him staring at it, but he wouldn't touch it. He'd change the subject or walk into another room, but he wouldn't hear of playing it. I didn't push him, because I knew that there was something holding him back.

"See, Edward played as a human," she explained. "I thought maybe if he had an outlet, a good one, then he'd could focus all his anger into it. When I suggested it to Carlisle, he agreed with me."

"Was he good?" Alice asked.

Esme huffed a laugh, but her chin trembled just a little. "Oh, he was...beautiful. It was like hearing the sounds of heaven through his fingers. And the calm that would take over him..." She shook her head slowly, letting out a sigh. "I wish he'd play again."

"He knows," I told her, smiling sadly. "He says he's not that man anymore."

"Oh, but he is," she gushed softly, just like the proud mother she was. "He is that man, only better now. I wish he'd see it."

"Bella, shield!" a bunch of voices yelled, and immediately, I shot up a wall in front of the three of us.

I laughed as Edward and Carlisle tumbled into my shield, only to bounce off of it. "Watch where you're going, boys!" I teased them, but they collapsed onto their backs into the wet grass, wearing twin amused grins.

Getting up from the tree, I strolled over to Edward, keeping him pinned down on the ground with my shield. I straddled him, plopped down on his stomach, and smirked at the grunt that escaped him.

"My turn with you, handsome," I chuckled, rolling my eyes at the shameless darkening of his eyes. I knew him so well. So I switched to thoughts. _Not that, you insatiable thing. I meant practice._

He laughed, his head falling back to the wet grass. "I don't know if my ego can take much more today, love."

"You're mated, Edward," Carlisle chuckled as he stood up off the ground. "There's no more ego. You might as well get used to it."

Every woman with in hearing range cracked the hell up, while every man groaned in agreement.

"Yeah, Eddie, just hand her your balls now. You'll be better off," Emmett yelled.

That statement caused more laughter and a "damn straight" from Rose.

"Defense only, Bella," Edward stated when I finally allowed him to sit up, but he slipped me down to his lap, keeping me there. "I detest the thought of hitting you."

I huffed a deep sigh, trying my damnedest not to roll my eyes. "I'm not breakable, Edward."

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. It's not in me to hit you, understand?" he asked softly, cupping my face and wiping away drops of rain from my face like tears. "Defense only."

Edward's eyes had lightened again to a honey gold, but this time, they were sincere, begging me silently to understand.

_It bothers you that much?_ I thought to him.

"Yes. More than I can explain."

"You hit me!" Rose accused, but I could hear by her voice that she was just teasing him.

"You weren't Bella," he said, his eyes never leaving mine. "And that was sort of satisfying," he muttered so softly that only I heard him, which caused me to fight my laughter because the two of them bickered almost every hour.

"No mind reading, big guy," I told him with a smile.

"Fine," he chuckled, grasping me by the waist and setting me on my feet. He stood in front of me, saying, "Okay, give me all you got, beautiful."

_I already have_, I thought to him.

The smile that spread across his face was beautiful and priceless and filled with everything I just adored about Edward. It was a touch of pride, of shyness...and of course, just sweet disbelief.

"Bella," he sighed, shaking his head. "Focus, or this won't last long," he ordered, raising a sexy-as-all-hell eyebrow up at me, which wasn't helping.

"Don't baby me!" I told him, pointing a finger.

"No babying. Just start, love," he chuckled, circling me like I was a gazelle and he was a lion.

Shielding my thoughts from him, I attacked, catching him slightly off guard, but he recovered quickly. Edward countered every move, every kick, and every hit. I got in a few cheap shots to his stomach, but otherwise, he read me perfectly. Feigning left, I dove for him again, suddenly twisting to my right. Edward saw it coming and wrapped me up in his strong arms, pressing me into the closest tree.

"Close. Good, Bella," he praised, his eyes filled with mischief at how I was wrapped around him. "You'll get me next time."

"No, I pretty much have you where I want you right now," I whispered, rubbing my nose up one side of his and down the other.

"Careful, sweet girl," he crooned, his eyes now swirling to pitch black. "We're not exactly alone."

Grinning shamelessly, I shrugged a shoulder. "Mine," I breathed against his lips.

"Yes," he agreed as Carlisle called an end to the day. "Always."

~oOo~

"Do you know this Peter and Charlotte?" Edward asked as we trudged at a human pace through the Appalachians. Not only had Carlisle insisted that everyone hunt, but Edward needed a break from all the minds that were hanging around the house. "I mean, do you trust them?"

"I trust Jasper," I stated simply, shrugging a shoulder and glancing over at him. "I've met them before, yes. They're a nice couple, mated. They don't share our diet, but they seem to respect our differences, and they certainly respect Jasper. He knew them back in his days with Maria."

Edward's eyebrows shot up, but he merely looked over at me, silently asking for me to elaborate.

I smiled and took his hand. "Jasper's told you, and you said you met Maria, so you know what she was capable of." At his nod, I went on. "Peter and Jasper trained the newborns for Maria. They became friends. When Charlotte was changed, Peter mated with her, but Maria said Charlotte had 'outlived her usefulness.'"

"So Maria ordered Jasper and Peter to kill her," Edward concluded.

"But Peter couldn't do it," I told him. "Jasper helped Peter take her, and the two of them escaped. Later, they came back for Jasper, getting him out of the south."

"That would earn loyalty," Edward mused to himself with a single nod. "And then there's the immortal that Carlisle's thinking of contacting..."

I shrugged a shoulder, thinking it could be anyone because Carlisle had lived a very long time.

"Well, I heard the name Garrett in his mind. The nomad. I've met him before," Edward said, wearing a small smile. "He's extremely loyal to Carlisle. In fact, he hates the Volturi. I think something happened when Carlisle was living in Italy, and he saved Garrett's life from the hands of the brothers. Apparently, Garrett's sire had intended to drain him, but something happened, so instead of dying from his injuries, he was turned. He was out of control when he was brought to Italy. Carlisle took pity because he had practically gone through the same situation."

We came to a standstill, both of us catching a heady scent.

I grinned. "Black bear."

"More than one," he agreed with a chuckle. "Go!"

The little cheater took off without a second glance back, but I was right behind him. Dripping trees and dewy shrubs flew by, adding to my already-soaked clothes. The rain hadn't stopped for two days. We found the two rather large bears just outside a cave. Edward took one, and I took the other, rounding off our diet of two deer each for the night. We resumed our slow walk once the carcasses had been buried, taking us farther away from the house. Carlisle had given all of us twenty-four hours to meet back at home. That would leave us with one more day before the Volturi showed up on our doorstep.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, we came upon an old, broken-down, wooden fence. In fact, the property surrounding it looked just as broken down, abandoned. What once might have been a small farm was now being taken over by the woods around it. The wood fence was green with moss and lichen, the small barn's door was hanging askew on its hinges, and the tiny house off in the distance had a large hole in the roof. It was quite obvious that no one had seen this place in several years.

"Come," Edward said, gracefully leaping over the fence, but he held out a hand for me once he was on the other side. "We'll get out of the rain for a few."

As the words left his mouth, lightning flickered across the dark gray sky. Fingers of thin fire wove through the heavy clouds, causing a strobe effect. Thunder rumbled long and low for a count of fourteen seconds as Edward led us to the closest shelter, which happened to be the old barn.

The swollen door gave way to Edward's barely-used strength, and it gave an eerie squeal when he closed it back again. The sweet scent of old hay, the vibrating sound of rat heartbeats, the sight of enormous spiders and their homes, and the glittering drips of water from the leaky roof made for a rather creepy environment.

Edward chuckled, glancing over at me. "All girl. Down to your bones, right? Can't take the rats, love?" He laughed harder when I shoved him playfully. "Completely rodent bite proof, can fight immortals twice your size, but you're worried about the spiderwebs in the corner."

"Tell me that when you walk through a spiderweb, you don't turn into a ninja, kicking and karate chopping around like a mad man," I growled, trying my damnedest not to smile at his incessant laughter. "I've seen both my brothers freak the hell out. Impervious skin or not."

"Maybe I'm just used to places like this," he snorted, rolling his eyes. "I've certainly waited out the sun in worse." His voice was soft, contemplative, but his eyes were bright, sweet, and far away.

"I'm just saying," I argued weakly, shaking my head at him. "When you walk through a web, you damn well wanna know where the hell the spider is. That's all," I murmured, gazing around the small barn.

Strong arms wrapped around me, but it was the soothing voice in my ear that caused me to melt back against his chest. "I give you my solemn vow that no arachnid, rodent, or any other creepy creature comes near you, my beautiful girl. If they try, they will meet a most horrible fate."

I grinned, a giggle escaping me. "We're about to have the fight of our lives, but you're protecting me from bugs and shit."

"I would lay down my life for you, Bella," he said, turning me to face him. "Bug, rat, or royal immortal army. Don't you understand that?"

How this suddenly became serious, I had no idea, but Edward's eyes were almost black with their ferocity. The whole lot of us had been trying to keep our wits about us, trying to maintain a positive attitude about proving our word to the Volturi. Edward and I were mated, Carlisle wasn't plotting to take over the vampire world, and our diet didn't make us any less cautious around humans than the next immortal.

We were hoping those truths won out.

Hope. It was the key to our sanity at the moment. We hoped that Aro would believe us and would leave us to live our lives in peace. We hoped that if he didn't, Demetri would show up to help us. We hoped that we didn't have to fight, but if we did, we hoped we came out on top. And my only secret, fear-filled, personal hope was that the man currently listening to every rambling thought I had as he stood stock-still in front of me would still be by my side when it was all over. I would be heartbroken with the loss of someone in my family...but I would die without Edward.

Edward said nothing as he reached out to wipe rain water from my face. His eyes were filled with clear understanding. When he finally did speak, his voice was soft, smooth, sad. "Has Carlisle ever told you his theory on why vampires mate for life?" he asked, nodding once when I shook my head no. He glanced around the barn, his eyes locking in on the loft. "Let's go up there," he whispered. "Jump because that ladder looks...worthless."

He leaped, landing gracefully on the edge of the loft, holding a hand out for me to follow, which I took gratefully once I was up there by his side. The hay loft was dry, still filled with a rather large pile of no longer sweet-smelling hay. It seemed this end of the barn's roof was still holding strong – no leaks, no moisture, just a soft breeze flowing through.

However, the sight of the hay caused a movie to flash through my mind. It was one Emmett and I had watched over and over. Teri Garr singing, "Roll, roll... Roll in ze hay," made me smirk to myself, but I giggled at Edward's blank expression.

"_Young Frankenstein_? No? You know...Froederick...Eye-gor...Abby Normal? What hump? Really?" I asked, still snickering. When he shook his head no, I sighed. "We really have to catch you up."

He chuckled, shrugging a shoulder, but helped me out of my wet jacket, taking off his, as well. He draped them over the loft's rail. Falling down into the fluffiest part of the haystack, he gestured for me to sit between his legs, which I did so instantly. His face was so very serious that I dropped the whole mental list of movies I thought he needed to see.

With strong arms wrapped around me, his mouth was at my ear. "I couldn't imagine that Carlisle would've told you his theory. He keeps it to himself. I only heard it from his mind, and it caused...major repercussions."

I turned slightly in his arms so that it was more like he was cradling me. I wanted to see his face when he told this to me.

"You know how he was raised, with a strict religious father...zealous, really. And I'm sure he's told you of our many debates over God and souls and the monsters that we are." He kissed my lips quickly to stop my disagreement. "I know, baby. Just wait." Kissing the little dip between my brows, he went on. "Carlisle feels that if we do all that we can, live _this_ life to the best of our ability, that we still stand a chance with God once our lives end. That it's our decisions and actions now that make the difference. When he met Esme – first when she was sixteen and then again when she showed up in his hospital a few years later – he knew. He just..._knew_ she was it for him."

"Yeah, they both told me," I whispered, not understanding the look of sadness crossing his features.

"I was there, remember?" He waited until I nodded and then said, "I was such an ass." He shook his head slowly. "Or maybe it was my frozen age, or my talent not quite under my control. Whatever it was... I didn't get it. I didn't understand how all of a sudden, every thought he had was of her. The man could diagnose an illness, scan through chess plays, and remember a complete symphony that he'd heard once all at one time, but suddenly, it was solely about her. His mind slipped one day. He never said it aloud, but he was watching Esme relearn her love of gardening, and his theory about mating hit me like a ton of bricks. He thinks that our mates are God's consolation to us. That we're given a gift of perfect love in order to survive this long, never-ending life. That not even humans can find that kind of love."

Edward paused his story, but I kept quiet because he was looking at me like I was that gift. Like I was that perfect..._thing_ he'd thought was a myth. I could hear it in his voice. He hadn't believed it back then.

Edward huffed a humorless laugh as he wrapped one of my damp curls around his finger gently. "That would be an understatement, sweet girl. Not only did I not believe it, I came to think he was so wrong. And it wasn't Carlisle I was mad at. It was me. I was so fucking jealous – of the two of them, of what they shared, of his time with her. There was _no way – _with what we are – that God gifted us with _anything. _All of it just...pissed me the hell off. But I was so angry anyway. It was part of the reason I left them, especially when Rosalie came into the picture."

"Oh," I sighed softly, finally understanding. "You thought... You were just convinced it would never happen."

"Exactly," he agreed with a nod and another kiss to my lips. "I tried...everything. And I thought I knew it all after ten years of immortality."

His sarcasm and eye roll made me giggle.

"I knew the feelings he felt for Esme," he said, smiling down at me but tapping his temple. "No one gave me that. No one. The Denali sisters, Rose...no one. And I thought it was bullshit." He stopped, shaking his head one time. "No, not bullshit. I thought something was wrong with me."

I cupped either side of his face, shaking my head profusely. "No, no, no! It just wasn't time yet."

He smiled softly, pressing his forehead to mine, but his eyes were still holding a sadness. "Believe me, love. I know." He sighed deeply, his sweet scent washing over me. "You thought a few minutes ago that you would die without me, and I totally understand. I've seen immortals that have lost their mates. It's a half-life, empty and painful. There's the valiant side of me that wants to beg you to live on if something happens to me, but I can't imagine doing that without you, so I can't ask it. There's a part of me that wants to plan and plot out a future with you, but we've had to put a stop to it. We're in this limbo of sorts, and I hate it."

"Edward, what are you trying to say?" I asked him because he was all over the place.

"If we make it out of this...I swear I'll spend the rest of our existence worshiping you – your heart, mind, and body," he stated firmly. "I'll take advantage of this amazing and beautiful gift I've been given, despite the fact that I'm pretty sure I never deserved it. I've already bound myself to you in this world," he murmured so very softly, his eyes warm and sensual as he tugged my shirt to the side just a bit. His finger traced along his mark on my skin where my neck met my shoulder, causing a shudder to wrack my frame. "I want to bind myself to you in the human one, as well."

Locking gazes with molten gold, I processed what he'd just said...or not said, really. He was talking about marrying me – something that as a human would've caused me to balk. As Edward's mate, it made me absolutely dumbstruck...until I saw the pure fear in his eyes. It wasn't that he thought I'd say no; it was the thought that we'd never get the chance to do it at all.

There were so many things that could go wrong. By law, they couldn't separate us. We were fairly certain that the moment that the Volturi laid eyes on Edward and me, they'd know that we were mated. But that didn't mean they couldn't order our execution, or take us from our family, or even destroy them in retaliation for Edward's "betrayal." And Edward didn't want me in Italy. At all. Ever. And that meant fighting – with or without Demetri.

Following Edward's lead, I didn't say it out loud, but the answer was yes. Always, yes. Reaching up, I traced his gorgeous face as the storm raged outside, only to run my fingers through his rain-dampened hair. Right there in that rundown barn, while curled up together in an old pile of hay, my heart broke and healed all at once. I'd waited so long for him, but he'd waited ten times that for me. And I finally understood what he'd been holding back. He wouldn't ask me to marry him, he wouldn't take the name Cullen from Carlisle, and he wouldn't touch his piano because all of those things meant a new life – a life he wasn't sure he'd get...or one he felt he deserved.

"Edward," I whimpered sadly, wishing not for the first time in my ten immortal years that I could shed tears for him because my thoughts caused the truth to flicker across his face.

His lips met mine roughly, but his voice was barely a sound as his words brushed across my mouth. "Shh... Don't you dare cry for me, sweetheart. Ever."

I was suddenly out of words. Both of us were. The what ifs had finally rendered us speechless. All I wanted was to run away. It was cowardly and low, but it was the truth. My immortality, which used to stretch out before me with limitless time, suddenly felt cut off. And I didn't want it to be over.

Edward rolled us gently, pressing me into the soft hay. "Bella, it's not over, but we can't run."

"I know," I said softly, looking away from him because his beauty was too much to look at sometimes.

He smiled a little at that last thought, cupping my chin and forcing my gaze back to his. "Remind me to shove you in front of a mirror when we get back, love."

Threading my fingers roughly into his hair, I brought his forehead to mine. "Make it go away. Just for now, Edward... Please."

He did exactly as I asked, to the letter. With swift movements, our wet clothes landed off to the side in a pile. Teasing fingers, deep kisses, and smooth skin weren't enough. They just weren't close enough. But long, low, feral growls brought my attention solely to my mate as he loomed over me in pure naked perfection. He forced me to focus, made me forget it all, letting all else fade away.

As Edward brought me to the brink of wanton insanity, he finally sank deep inside of me. It was that instant that nothing else mattered – past or future – but that moment right there.

~oOo~

**EPOV**

"Jasper!" my girl growled, but it was in complete frustration, not in anger.

"Focus, Spitfire," he chuckled, shoving her playfully.

"I really, _really_ wish everyone would stop telling me to focus," she murmured, giving me a glance out of the corner of her eye, but I merely grinned at her. "I'm well aware of the shit that's coming."

"Well, good; then work with me," Jasper urged, his amusement oozing out over just about all of us.

With a resigned sigh, Bella nodded, looking out over the field of flowers they were sitting in. With a quick flash of anger, Jasper pushed it at her, and we all watched in fascination as her shield severed the blooms several feet away from her. They fell off with barely a whisper, giving the wild open field a "buzz cut," as Emmett was thinking.

"Pull it back, Isabella," Eleazar instructed as he stood behind them. "Don't cut them. _Bend_ them."

_How much longer until she snaps, you think?_ Carlisle's mind met mine, and I turned to look at him. _She's stressed, worried, and Jasper's influence is making it worse, enhancing it._

"Her mind is open to me," I told him softly. We were just far enough away that our conversation was private. "She wants to do this, but you're right. She's extremely edgy." I sighed, my eyes taking in every movement she made as she tried again and again. "She knows that she's deadly. She wants to control it, be able to just...hold them back. She doesn't want to accidentally start the fight, but she does want to protect us."

Carlisle hummed that he heard me but kept his voice silent. His mind tried to consider the coming conversation with the Volturi from every angle. What his pride wouldn't let him say aloud, his mind revealed to me – whether on purpose or by accident, I had no idea. It bothered him greatly that the brothers from Italy hadn't taken him at his word. It bothered him even more that it didn't matter if they had. Aro's power had gone to his head, and his imagined threat that he saw in my sire was what was driving him to this confrontation.

Glancing around, I took note of who was with us. The numbers had risen since Bella and I had returned from our hunt and time alone.

There was some of my immediate family – Rose, Emmett, and Alice. The latter was cradled in a low hanging branch trying to see anything and everything that was coming our way. The other two were deep in conversation with Peter and Charlotte, both of whom were here simply as a favor to Jasper, though they held no real loyalty to Italy.

There was the Denali clan – Eleazar, who was still guiding Bella with amazing patience, Carmen, Tanya, Irina, and Kate. The three sisters had surrounded Carlisle's old friend Garrett. I fought my smile as I caught brief thoughts between him and Kate. There was intrigue there. I was certain they weren't mates, but that didn't mean they couldn't be attracted to one another.

And then there were the newcomers – immortals that Demetri had sent our way. They'd shown up on our doorstep with only one instruction: See Carlisle. They made me the most nervous because I didn't know them, but Carlisle did, and he welcomed them with open arms.

Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie were from Ireland. Liam had no talent to speak of, but his mate, Siobhan, seemed to have the ability to force outcomes to her favor, which was Carlisle's belief, not hers. She didn't feel she had any talent whatsoever. Maggie, though, intrigued me and worried me at the same time, if I were to be honest. The Volturi would covet her right along with Alice, Bella, and me. She could sense when someone was lying to her. It was an amazing thing to see through her mind. Where I could see someone's thoughts contradicting what they were actually saying, Maggie could sense the untruth, feel it.

Several other nomads arrived shortly after the Irish coven – Mary and Randall, who were American, and Alistair, Charles, and Mekenna from Europe. They were all gathered around Esme, being received warmly.

Unfortunately, we'd had only one communication from Felix and Demetri. It was a text to me that simply stated they were together, they'd be sending help our way, and they were making their way to us. We had no idea if they would make it in time. Once the others had started arriving, Alice had moved us all to the field she'd seen in her visions. According to her, it would only be a matter of hours before the Volturi showed.

"Twenty-four," I sighed to myself, shaking my head. "That's not enough if this comes down to an actual fight. If they merely bring the royal guard, yes, but if they bring more...absolutely not."

"I know," Carlisle stated without inflection. His face held a weariness and a sadness that I hadn't seen since I'd first been changed. _And I can't decide if this gathering will show as an act of __aggression or__ as solidarity._

I huffed, rolling my eyes. "Caius will spin it as aggression. Marcus will see who binds them. And Aro will insist on reading our minds." I gestured between the two of us, because I knew Aro well enough that he'd want to know everything.

"Then we can only pray that good will win out," he sighed, gazing over at me. "If Demetri shows and his call for no confidence works, then we'll have done the right thing. If he doesn't make it, then members of my family – immediate and extended – could be killed."

"Edward!" Alice's voice sounded from across the field. My gaze snapped to hers, despite the distance, and I saw the vision she was having. "Look!"

I groaned, shaking my head. "It seems you scare Aro more than you realize," I told Carlisle. "Alice sees the reason for the four-day wait before their arrival. The reason that they waited weeks before leaving Italy..."

"A newborn army," he concluded.

"Yes."

"How many? Can you tell?" he asked, already mentally calculating the odds.

"Fifty?" I guessed, because through Alice's visions, the number fluctuated continuously. "Give or take?"

"Right...Alice wouldn't be able to pinpoint it. Newborns are unstable. They'd fight amongst themselves," he mused to himself more than to me.

"We'll need Jasper's mind for this," I told him, pushing away from the tree I'd been leaning against.

I approached Jasper, Bella, and Eleazar as Alice and Carlisle gathered everyone else.

"What'd she see?" Jasper and Bella asked at the same time.

"It seems Aro's built himself an army...of newborns," I told them, my gaze locking with Jasper's. "The numbers seem to center around fifty."

Jasper gazed around the field much as I had, tallying up the numbers. When he looked back to me, he said, "It can be done."

"Oh, I know it can, but I think we'll have the advantage," I told him, placing a hand on Bella's shoulder as our thoughts meshed. I turned her to face me. "Beautiful, I know you can fight, and I know that you can hold off an attack, but the key to defeating a newborn army is that," I stated, pointing to the decapitated flowers in front of us. "Do you understand?"

Her eyebrows shot up for a second, but she glanced over the field. She let out a slow breath but met my eyes once again. "I'd need to be out front," she simply said.

"And Carlisle and I will be on either side of you," I concurred with a nod.

She grimaced, her eyes flickering to Jasper for a moment. "I might need Jasper, too."

His grin was crooked, yet a touch evil. "I'm there, Spitfire. Don't you worry."

Eleazar sniffed, gazing around him, but his thoughts were on Bella. "You slice that army in two, and the brothers will definitely see it as an act of war."

"Then we wait," Jasper stated. "We wait for Aro's command. We stand fast...behind Bella. If he's built an army, then this isn't a run-of-the-mill conversation he wants anyway. He's coming to remove us and anyone that stands with us."

"That will work," Alice piped up, and I glanced up at her, noticing that we were now the center of the large group. She nudged me with a small finger. "Look."

Her vision was crystal clear. From the north end of the field in which we were standing, the Volturi would send their army at a run, but if the entire lot of us held fast, Bella's shield would dismantle them, leaving only the royal guard.

"And Felix and Demetri?" I asked.

"They've made no other decision except to come this way. They may be doing it on purpose," she said, shrugging a small shoulder. "They either want the element of surprise, or they..."

"Aren't coming," I finished for her. "We'll have to assume the latter, Alice."

"Yes, but really _look_, Edward!" she growled, focusing her vision for me. "Who's missing?"

My brow furrowed, shaking my head. "Marcus," I breathed, spinning to face Carlisle. "Why? Why would Marcus not come?" I asked him, but it was Eleazar that answered.

"If he disagrees with his brothers, he has the option of stepping back," he said, frowning. "He holds just as much power as his siblings."

"Or it's a trap," Jasper added. "They split up, come at us from different angles."

"We take the far end of this clearing," Emmett growled. "Give Bells the backdrop of trees behind us. I've seen her use it to brace that shield against."

My eyes locked onto Bella's. She was nodding, but her mind was filled with worry. Her fingers found mine and squeezed, a tremor running through her body. Giving Carlisle a brief look, I turned back to her as they gave us a minute.

"No matter what happens, I'll be right beside you, love," I told her softly. "Stay calm, don't panic, and we'll get through this."

"You can't promise that," she argued weakly.

"Should I rephrase?" I asked her. "We'll _do our best_ to get through this."

The corners of her mouth twitched just a little, but the deep sadness and worry in her amber eyes didn't fade. In fact, her mind swirled around a thought that had a growl erupting from my chest. She was thinking that if it all ended today, she was happy that she'd had this short time with me.

"No!" I snarled, cupping her face. "I refuse to think that way, Bella. That's defeatist thinking. Get rid of it." I turned her to face the group of people getting into position at the farthest end of the clearing. "Look at them. They aren't giving up. They're here. They're going to fight, even if it means just standing as one to show the Volturi that we can't be pushed around.

"You want to run. You want to get away from it, but you can't, baby," I breathed in her ear as we watched Carlisle line up at the front of the group, Esme by his side. "Believe me, I wish like hell I could go back in time, make different decisions. I wish we were still in your apartment on that first night, but we aren't. However, I am willing to fight to get us back to that."

She spun in front of me, her eyes fierce. "You're right. I'm just—"

"Scared," I finished for her. "I know. Me, too."

"Love you."

"As I you," I countered. "We need to get over there. Alice is telling me they're close."

We joined the group quickly, standing between Carlisle and Esme to our left and Alice and Jasper on the other side.

"They're here," Alice whispered, her eyes locked on the opposite end of the field.

Every one of us shifted just a little, spreading out a few paces. The minds around me were a mixture of different thoughts. The Denalis were thinking of their mother that Aro had order to be executed when she'd created an immortal child. Just about all of the nomads were scoffing at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the slow-moving group. And my family was calculating everything – distance, time, number of enemies, and possible outcomes. There were silent prayers, chanted mantras, and for the few former soldiers among us, final checklists. There was even a soundtrack of different songs floating just underneath the surface. Some were to help the thinker to remain calm, but for Emmett, it was to pump him up. He loved a good fight, and he was ready and willing to "open up a can of whoop-ass," as he was thinking. Though, his choice in songs caused me to glance over at him.

_Generals gathered in their masses_

_Just like witches at black masses_

_Evil minds that plot destruction_

_Sorcerer's of death's construction_

_In the fields the bodies burning_

_As the war machine keeps turning _

_Death and hatred to mankind_

_Poisoning their brainwashed minds_

_Oh lord yeah!_

"Fitting," I stated.

"Hells, yeah. _War Pigs _is the shit," he muttered. "That's what they are, right?"

"That's enough," Carlisle chided softly, but his voice held no real authority behind the command.

I'd never seen the Volturi approach from this side of the fight. They moved slowly, almost at a human pace. The royal guard surrounded Aro and Caius, and true to Alice's vision, Marcus was missing. Their deep red cloaks were a sharp contrast to the green field, but even from this distance, I could see who was coming. Aro had not only brought his favorite guards, but he'd built himself quite the army, and they were barely under his command. It looked like Alec was using his talent on them, keeping them blind and unaware. More thoughts invaded my mind, but these were filled with malice, war, violence, and bloodlust.

Bella shuffled her feet, and I linked our fingers tighter.

Emmett gripped Bella's shoulders from behind, whispering, "We've so got this, Spitfire. All those times I kicked your ass...take it out on them. Shield us, baby sis."

The familiar push of air brushed over me, and I knew that she'd just wrapped herself around us all.

Aro stepped forward, planting a false and sickening smile on his face. "Carlisle, my old friend. What's this you've done now? I merely wanted a chance to speak with you. There are some charges you must answer for."

Maggie growled low, her thoughts consumed with the lie.

"I could ask the same of you, Aro. A newborn army?" Carlisle replied, gesturing to the eerily-still cluster behind the guard. "Surely you didn't mean to talk."

Bella flinched, her eyes blackening, but her thoughts were directed to me. _Someone's attacking my __shield. Feels like pinpricks, but they aren't getting through._

"Jane," I whispered back, and she nodded.

Carlisle heard that simple exchange and turned back to Aro. "Aro, please call off your guards. It won't do any good."

Bella relaxed slightly as Jane hissed, her face filled with fury as she leveled her gaze on me. Aro did the same, though he also took in my hand in Bella's. Suddenly, he was livid because he knew. We were mated, and he couldn't do a thing about it.

"Ah, my young Edward," he gushed, and it was all I could do not to roll my eyes at him. "It seems congratulations are in order, I see."

"Cut the shit, Aro," I snarled. "You would never leave the comfort of your castle just to prove I've mated. You wouldn't drag the entire guard out here for a simple conversation. Why are you here?"

Caius sneered, but he kept his mouth shut. The guards shifted uneasily on their feet, their minds filled with hatred for my indignant behavior.

"I still don't have proof," Aro countered with a deep chuckle. "Come to me, son. Let's see what you've been up to since you left me so abruptly."

"I don't think so, Aro," Carlisle answered with a shake of his head. "Where's Marcus? I was so looking forward to seeing him. It's been too long."

Carlisle asked that question for me...and quite possibly Maggie.

"He's been called back to the castle. Urgent business," Aro replied.

I smirked at the same time Maggie sighed, both of us shaking our heads no.

"Enough of this," Caius growled. "This blatant disrespect must stop. Carlisle, you've clearly decided to fight against us. This grotesque diet you insist on partaking is disgusting and disturbing. You've obviously come to fight."

"Merely protecting my family," Carlisle stated calmly and smoothly.

"Family!" Caius scoffed. "Your coven has grown too powerful, too large."

"Not all of us answer to Carlisle," Garrett suddenly piped up. "Some of us answer to..._no one_."

"The young patriot has spoken," Aro laughed. "Yes, I'm sure you don't answer to anyone, Garrett, but you are quite faithful to Carlisle, aren't you?" Garrett remained quiet, but Aro went on. "I think I'm ready to give judgment."

_Oh hell,_ Alice thought to me. _Brace yourself, Edward._

I nodded but said nothing, my eyes never leaving Aro's face.

"Carlisle, I'm going to give you a choice." Aro paused, pacing slowly back and forth in front of his guard. "I've received reports of strange happenings in the city, so clearly you can't control your coven. This strange diet is ridiculous, but it's given you a false sense of self-importance. You've surrounded yourself with talent and strength. And you've stolen my mind reader from me. His contract with me was not over. He didn't fulfill his end of the bargain. You obviously are building up an army against us."

"I'm doing no such thing, Aro. And Edward mated. I do not like my honor questioned," Carlisle stated. How he was remaining calm, I had no idea. "I've done nothing wrong, and neither has any single one of these people."

Aro leaned in to listen to Caius, but I could hear their plan.

"He knows it was James in the city," I murmured quietly. "He's lying. However, no one else with him knows that. Not even Caius. He's going to order your death and the death of anyone that stands beside you. Or he's going to offer to...thin your ranks." I locked gazes with him, well aware of the anger that Jasper was trying to tamper down around us. "Those that don't walk away quietly or don't come with him willingly will be taken against their will."

I didn't have to tell him who. He knew. He was well aware what talents were coveted by Aro – Alice, Jasper, Bella, and myself. He also wanted to protect those talents that had come to stand with Carlisle – Maggie, Siobhan, Kate, and Eleazar.

Carlisle looked to Alice. "Any word on Felix or Demetri?"

"Not yet," she said, but her eyes were slightly glazed. She was flickering through every single probability that she could think of.

Aro stepped forward again. "We think it would be best if Carlisle was removed from his post. Or...several of you can come with us, take a place of honor in my guard. Edward, you can bring your beautiful mate, stand by my side once again."

"No," Bella suddenly growled, and I pulled her to me, keeping her back to my chest.

I smiled. "You heard the lady," I chuckled darkly. "She says no. Aro, you should drop this. Your lies and deception have come to an end. Don't think I don't know," I told him, tapping my temple. "Your guards don't know that you've been leading them falsely for centuries, do they?"

"Make your choice!" Caius snapped, but his mind slipped.

I suddenly saw the reason why Marcus had not joined his brothers. He was against fighting Carlisle. He held no ill will against the man, and he had stated simply that he knew that Aro's contract with me wasn't a contract at all, but blackmail. He could see the connection that didn't exist between us.

When no one else made a move, Aro shook his head sadly. "Such a waste..." he murmured, waving a hand to his guard.

"He's releasing the newborns," I whispered.

"Hold rank!" Jasper commanded as we all crouched into a fighting stance.

But Bella pushed away from me, stepping forward away from us all. She looked so small, so fragile, though I knew she wasn't. For a split second, I wasn't sure what she was going to do – block them, or remove them. Fifty-two red-eyed newborns that had been frozen at just about every age closed in on us quickly, but the extreme rush of air gave me my answer. When the feral army was about half the distance to us, Bella's shield severed them all in two. They fell to the ground, the vibration rumbling through our feet.

Screams of frustration and agony met my ears, minds assaulting me, but I glanced up to see the incredulous look on Aro's and Caius's faces. Their army had been rendered useless. They weren't dead, but being as young as they were, they had no idea what was happening to them.

For the first time, I saw fear crawl over the faces of the Volturi, all of them frozen. They couldn't decide who to look at – the writhing mass of newborns...or Bella.

"I see that you have a secret weapon, Carlisle," Caius stated. "You've come to destroy us."

"I've come to defend myself and my family. I would just as soon walk away from this without fighting," he countered. "Those that stand beside me have grown tired of your ways. We are all well aware of the laws of our kind, and we all follow them to the letter. These false charges will not stand. And you know this, or your brother would've joined you."

"I've heard enough of this, Aro," Caius growled. "Let's end this and go back home. Alec! Jane!"

I dragged Bella back to my chest, my mouth at her ear. "We can't fight them if we can't touch them. Can your shield hold them and them alone?"

The shimmer on the ground had already begun to slowly head our way. Bella flinched again as the twins stepped forward.

"Pull that shield, Bella," Jasper told her, getting ready to run.

"You hold the creepy twins, and we'll get the rest. Got me?" Emmett stated, also stepping forward.

What we didn't realize was that Aro wasn't going down without a true fight. From the trees behind him stepped at least another hundred newborns.

"Dios mio," Eleazar sighed but crept forward into attack position. "This wasn't a judgment; this was an annihilation."

We were completely outnumbered, and several thoughts around me centered on Bella's shield.

I looked to Carlisle, saying, "We have no choice but to rely on her."

"I know," he sighed, eying the shimmer on the ground.

"If Bella so much as moves that shield, Alec and Jane will eke through," I told him. "She can't hold them all."

"I can," Bella sneered. "And I will. Go!"

Through my girl's mind, I could see exactly what she was planning. It would be risky, but she was keeping everything I'd told her in the forefront of her mind. She needed Alec and Jane out of the picture, but the newborns posed a serious risk to the rest of us.

The Volturi gave us no time to discuss it any further because Caius called, "Attack!"

"Steady," Jasper urged, and strangely enough, his mind was calm, ready for the fight. "Hold off until they pass the other newborns."

Our small band crouched in preparation to fight, but a low rumble caused us to glance around. The middle of the field started to shake, the ground breaking up. Flowers and grass were soon replaced by dark dirt bubbling up out of the ground like it was molten lava. Higher and higher it piled, until there was a rather large wall of earth between us and the Volturi.

"Edward!" Alice called at the same time a deeper voice met my ears.

Spinning to the forest behind us, my mouth fell open. "Felix, Demetri..." I turned to Bella. "Let them in, sweetheart."

Suddenly, we were joined by not only Felix and Demetri, but several more people I didn't recognize. However, one, I did, which would explain how there was now a rather high wall in the middle of the clearing.

"Benjamin," I greeted, bowing my head slightly to the small man whose dark skin still showed through his immortal skin.

His grin was infectious as he bowed his head back. "Causing trouble again, Edward?"

"You, too, I see," I chuckled, turning to Felix. "Fantastic timing as always, old friend."

Felix laughed. "I try. Got to keep you on your toes, you know."

Demetri greeted Carlisle solemnly, nodding once to Benjamin and then to Bella. "Bella, this is Benjamin from Egypt. You two should work really well together. Benjamin can manipulate the four elements...fire, earth, water, air."

"Nice to meet you," Bella told him, though she was still struggling against Jane's painful assault.

"Hold steady, okay?" Benjamin asked her, and she nodded.

The rumbling started again, and the wall leveled back out, displaying the Volturi once more.

Demetri stepped forward, his gaze on Aro unwavering. "No one wants to fight you, Aro, but your time for lies and rule is over. We're calling for a vote of no confidence in our leader."

Aro's face went slack with shock as he realized just what had been stated. His mind reeled with different escapes, plots, and plans, but he only countered with one statement.

"You can't call for such a thing if both of my brothers are not present," he said, gesturing proudly around him. "Request denied, and you're all charged with treason."

"Not so fast," Alice piped up, smiling like it was fucking Christmas, but when I saw the vision playing in her mind, I couldn't help but gasp and turn toward the west. "All three brothers are present."

Several immortals stepped through the trees, their leader wearing an expression of absolute blankness. But Marcus's mind was anything but blank. He was assessing the entire scene around him.

When his gaze landed on his brothers, he sighed, shaking his head. "They've called for a vote of no confidence, brothers. They have the right to give witness." Marcus held up his hand when Caius started to argue. "They have the right," he reiterated, but he turned his gaze to Demetri. "Do all of you have cause?"

"I have brought forth several witnesses, master," Demetri stated with reverence.

"Very well, then," he replied, his expressionless gaze falling to me. "We'll start with Edward."

**~oOo~**

**A/N... Oh, damn... Like I said, you won't have long to wait. The next chapter is almost finished. And I'm sure you'll be yelling at me...trust me, I've heard it. LOL My beta JenRar and my pre-reader GooberLou said...no used shouty caps at me...saying that I was KILLING THEM. My other pre-reader inkedupmom is a little more of a masochist. She took it a little calmer. LOL I love all three, though. They keep me on my toes.**

**I'm not sure when the next update will be, but as soon as it's finished and cleaned up, then it'll post. I promise. This little fic kinda gets lost in the shuffle of bigger things **cough** Coming Home **cough** ;) but trust me, I truly appreciate every single review and rec you guys give this story. Please leave some love and if you want to you can reach me on Twitter (Drotuno) or FB (Deb Drotuno Rotuno). I'm always around. Until next time, mooches, Deb. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N... This is the last regular chapter of FI. There will be one more – and epi. This chapter comes with a VIOLENCE WARNING and a LEMON WARNING. Just fyi. I know you guys are dying to find out what happens. So see me at the bottom...**

**~oOo~**

Chapter 9

**EPOV**

"_We'll start with Edward."_

Marcus waved me forward at the same time he waved his brothers, Demetri, and Carlisle. My mind could only briefly focus on Marcus's request because my heart clenched at the sound Bella made.

"No, no, no," she chanted over and over. Her control on her shield was now tentative at best. If something went wrong, it was quite possible for her to completely snap, and I was certain that the results would be anarchy.

I glanced up to Marcus, but at the same time, I grasped Bella's hand. "It's okay, love. He just wants to talk."

_Bring her, Edward,_ Marcus thought to me. _She's the girl in question, yes?_

"Yes, but..."

"Bring her," he ordered, his voice without inflection, but his mind... His mind reeled at the connection he could see between us. For the first time in decades, something flickered across his face – sympathy. "And tell her to relax that shield. Aro's..._pets_ will stand down."

I wanted to smirk at the way the word "pets" spat out of his mouth like it tasted foul. He was not a fan of his brother's collection of talented immortals. Yes, he liked the advantage they gave them as a whole, but he could see they weren't loyal of their own accord. Aro had the audacity to look affronted but waved a hand to his guard.

Placing a hand on the back of Bella's neck, I rubbed my thumb to relax her. "It's okay, sweetheart. Pull it back in."

"Okay," she whispered, nodding one time, but it took a few deep breaths to finally get her to rein in that shield of hers.

I took my time guiding her to the center of the clearing. I needed her to relax, but to be honest, I needed a moment, as well. I'd been a pawn for the Volturi for so long that the sight of them all together in front of me made me nervous. Calling for a meeting such as this could go very badly. If the brothers banded together and decided that nothing we said mattered, then they could resume the battle. If that happened, then we were clearly outnumbered now, with the addition of Marcus and his guard.

Despite the hissing argument that Caius was having with Demetri, Marcus's eyes were locked on Bella and me. The way he saw our relationship was one of the strongest I'd ever seen through his mind. It looked like a golden rope, binding us together. It was just slightly brighter than the one connecting Carlisle to Esme, Jasper to Alice, and Emmett to Rosalie. On top of that was the glowing silver rope that bound all of us to Carlisle. It was strong, unwavering, but slightly different than the one that surrounded us as couples. It looked like one of Bella's hated spiderwebs.

_Now look, young Edward,_ Marcus thought to me, his eyes drifting slowly over to the Volturi guard. Their loyalty was hazy, black, barely connected to each other as an army and flickering like a dying light bulb in its relation to Aro. _This call of no confidence has been a long time coming_.

My face remained blank as he thought this to me, but I nodded once that I'd heard him.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Caius hissed, his eyes narrowing on Demetri, who wasn't backing down. "This is treason, nothing more. We have the means to destroy them all. Let's finish this. Forget this witness business."

"What are you afraid of, Caius?" Demetri countered calmly, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. "I'm merely here to give witness to something that's been blown out of proportion. The truth will win out."

"You're a traitor, Demetri," Aro accused, his gaze flickering to Carlisle. "You've decided to stand against us."

"Enough, brothers," Marcus sighed wearily. "Demetri's loyalty is still to the Volturi."

What he didn't elaborate on was that Demetri's loyalty was to Marcus, and Marcus alone. It made me wonder if Demetri had called Marcus in on this because he'd known that this was something that the quietest of the three brothers had wished for.

That statement seemed to placate Caius and Aro for a moment, but all eyes turned to me and then Carlisle.

"Aro," Marcus sighed, "state the charges against Carlisle again." His eyes looked from my sire to Aro and back again, but his mind was directed at me. _Bear with me, Edward. I have to do this a certain way, or it will not work. And do not, under any circumstances, let my brother touch you. If he catches any part of this from your thoughts, we're all at war._

"Carlisle has created a coven too large, and its powers have been used against us," Aro stated, looking like a pouting child. "He's turned our faithful mind reader against us by claiming that he's mated, and he's allowed too many incidents around the humans. He's a serious threat to what we've tried to protect for centuries."

It was all Marcus could do not to roll his eyes, but he maintained his ever-present blank expression as he turned to me. His deep red eyes took in the connection between Bella and me once more, but his gaze locked onto her.

"Isabella," he said, tilting his head at her. "You're the newest member of Carlisle's coven, are you not?"

"Family," she corrected sweetly, and even he almost cracked a smile at her, especially when Carlisle and I pulled her closer. "And yes, ten years ago. I was in an accident. Carlisle changed me."

"And just how many of your...family has Carlisle actually changed?" Marcus asked, raising a hand when Caius scoffed with impatience.

"Um," she stammered, looking up at Carlisle.

He smiled warmly at her. "Go ahead, Bella."

"Well..." She hesitated, looking to me. "He changed Edward, then Esme and Rosalie. Rose saved Emmett, and they're mates, so she begged him to turn Emmett. That's it. He saved us when we were dying, but Alice and Jasper were changed by someone else."

"And you all choose to live together," he urged her.

"Yes."

"Thank you, Isabella," Marcus said softly, turning to his brothers. "Let's address the charges. And then I want to hear witness to this vote of no confidence." He held up another hand to stop Caius and Aro from arguing. "Have you forgotten the way of things, brothers? We govern the immortal world. We are here to keep order and secrecy, not dictate who can and can't live together. As long as the rules are followed, then we need not step in. Apparently, some feel we've overstepped one time too many, and I, for one, am inclined to agree with them." He gestured to the large crowd behind us, which included the very nervous members of our family.

"As far as young Edward here goes," Marcus continued, pointing to me, "I see clearly that he's mated. Carlisle called us out of respect to let us know this, yet we did not take him at his word. That disappoints me. Carlisle has never been anything but up front with us, even when he lived among us. And all of our ranks should be able to come and go as they please, brothers. Edward has proved to be a loyal guard, but his time with us is over. We did not hold Carlisle or Eleazar against their will. I do not wish to hold him."

Aro's mind spiraled out of control with that statement from Marcus because he now suspected his brother knew the reason behind my service to the Volturi, but he did not argue.

"I want to see proof of this...so called mating," Aro stated, holding out his hand for me to touch him.

"No." It was a single, monosyllabic word that hung heavily with those around us, but I wasn't letting Aro touch me. And it was more than just Marcus's silent command.

"How dare you deny us!" Caius growled, stepping forward, but Demetri intercepted him.

"This is not your call, Caius," Demetri stated.

"What are you hiding, if you won't let me see?" Aro asked.

"My thoughts are my own, but my memories are not for you to see," I told Aro calmly. "Out of respect for my mate, Aro, I can't allow it. I apologize. Some things between mates are not meant to be seen by an outsider."

"I've seen it all," Aro argued angrily. "I couldn't care less what you've..."

"So have I," I interrupted him, tapping my temple but keeping a firm hand on Bella's shoulder. "And those are the very things I do not wish for you to see." I tugged the collar of my shirt to the side, showing him Bella's mark. "If this is not enough proof, then you'll have to take our word for it. I will not allow you to compromise Bella's honor."

Bella pressed back closer to me, but her gaze locked with Aro's. He at least looked contrite.

"My apologies, Isabella," Aro stated, though it was broken and a lie. "Perhaps, with your permission..." He held his hand out to her.

I flinched when her small hand set atop his frail-looking one. But it took less than two seconds for him to realize he could get nothing from her. Not a single thought. And she'd done it on purpose.

"Do you take my word that they're mated, brother?" Marcus asked, his mind growing impatient with Aro's sense of vengeance.

"Yes, yes," Aro scoffed, his face filled with anger and frustration, which matched perfectly to the thoughts in his mind.

"I've seen bigger covens, Aro," Marcus said, shaking his head a little. "And Carlisle has never been a threat before with this law." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "The final charge against this coven is the spectacle that ensued just a few days ago in the city of New York," Marcus stated, still sounding just as bored as ever, but he was getting close to proving his point concerning Carlisle.

"I can give witness to the fact that no one was out of line," Demetri said, stepping forward. "I was there. It was quite controlled, with no human witnesses, and it was James that was out of control. As usual," he muttered the last two words wryly, which caused Caius to tsk and shake his head. "Edward clearly had the right to defend his mate against the other vampire. I'd already spoken to Carlisle and Edward, but James could not be stopped. Neither could the two immortals that you sent with me."

Demetri held out his hand to have his thoughts read by Aro, which was done so with a scowl on his face. Aro already knew that the incident in the city was not what he was making it out to be, and he was about to continue that same lie as the night in question flickered through his mind.

"You traitor," he hissed, pulling his hand back. "This call for me to step down was your idea."

"I'm merely following protocol, master," Demetri told him. "These lies you've spun surrounding Edward and Carlisle aren't the only ones you've created. Since we've cleared up the matter concerning Carlisle, I'd like to bring forth my witnesses, Marcus."

"Very well," Marcus allowed, turning to Carlisle. "Carlisle, I'd like for you and Edward to stay here, but Isabella may join the rest of your...family."

Bella started to argue, but I squeezed her shoulder, stepping away from the small group. "Easy, love," I whispered with barely a sound in her ear. "I'll be just fine. I want you to go back to Alice and Jasper. Please. I want you to listen to them. Okay?"

_I don't want to leave you_, she thought to me. _Please, Edward. Don't make me._

"There isn't much choice here, sweetheart," I told her, pressing my lips to hers, "but Carlisle and I will be fine."

I tried to convey as much as I could to her with a single look. She nodded once but kissed me roughly before stalking off. She wasn't happy about it, but there wasn't much I could do. And I knew for a fact that she could protect Carlisle and me from across the damn clearing without even blinking. What I needed her to do was listen to our siblings. If anyone could pick up deception or an order to attack, it was them.

_She's fiercely loyal, Edward,_ Marcus thought to me, _and extremely powerful. She'll be our only hope should my brother lose control. That's quite the mate you've found. And you've waited long enough to live your life. I won't allow my brothers to take from you what they took from me._

My eyebrows flicked up, but I recovered quickly. I knew that Marcus had lost his mate, Didyme, centuries prior. Didyme had been Aro's sister. What I didn't know was that Aro had been happy to change his own sister until Marcus had mated with her. Didyme's talent had been pure, radiating happiness. And from what Marcus was showing me, once they'd mated, Marcus had asked to stand down from his position in Italy. He'd wanted to simply live his long life with his mate, nothing more and nothing less. But Aro had flown into a rage, ordering the death of his own sister in order to keep Marcus in servitude. Aro needed Marcus for his talent; his happiness was inconsequential. Aro blamed it on rogue newborns, but that was not the case, it seemed.

That was the reason we were standing in a field. Marcus had waited centuries for this moment. He'd waited until one single brave immortal finally stood up for what was right so that this order of no confidence could be carried out.

I wanted to laugh and tell Carlisle, but Demetri was already calling his witnesses.

"Edward, if you could be so kind as to act as interpreter for me," Marcus requested, his eyes locking with my own. "I hate to keep you and Carlisle from moving on, but I trust both of you to be honest in your opinions."

"Yes, Marcus," I said with a bow of my head.

"As you wish, Marcus," Carlisle answered, but his thoughts were to me. _There's more at stake here than what I can see, isn't there, son?_

With a simple look we'd perfected ages ago, I told him yes silently.

For the next several minutes, Demetri called witnesses, and some even volunteered. Eleazar came forward to give testimony that Aro had tricked him into spilling secrets about Carlisle and our family that weren't his to tell, which was what brought us to this moment because Aro had used that information to hold over me.

With each witness, with each and every lie that Aro was caught in, he grew more and more agitated – something that Jasper was warning me about from half the field away. Even Caius shut up, not bothering to entangle himself with his brother's wrongdoings any further. However, the more agitated Aro became, the more his guards started to get antsy, including the fair amount of newborns Alec was keeping under control. Jane adored Aro, lived to serve him, and she hated me, so she was chomping at the bit to set her talent free. Renata was worried that she wasn't able to shield him if he needed her. And Alec was ready for a fight, ready to let the newborns go.

Marcus was being plotted against. Again.

Armed with that knowledge, I made a decision that I knew Alice would catch. She needed to ready not only Bella but the entire group of immortals that had come to stand with us. We had no alternative but to protect Marcus should Aro lose control, which he was just about to do.

The final witness was Felix. As my large friend joined us, he thought to me, _The little one says we're about to fight. They are ready. And that mate of yours is just about to climb Emmett to get to you._

I smirked but covered it quickly. I knew Bella was just about to go crazy behind me. I could hear it in her thoughts, practically feel it between us. My need to go to her, comfort her was almost overwhelming, but I needed her where she was – safe with her brothers.

"You brought your own newborns, I see," Marcus stated, eying the group that had arrived with Felix and Demetri.

"I was merely following orders, master," Felix replied, shrugging one giant shoulder. "I was sent to investigate some rumors coming out of Louisiana. I was interrupted by Demetri. I couldn't leave them without letting the situation get out of hand again, so I brought them with me."

I nodded to Marcus that what he'd said was true, leaving out that Felix had stopped by to see me on his way to the south.

"What I found most interesting is that these newborns were created with a purpose. I believe that they were supposed to join those immortals," Felix continued, pointing across the field to Aro's army. "They just didn't follow orders too well."

Marcus turned to Aro. "How large of an army did you need, dear brother, in order to speak with Carlisle concerning the size of a coven? You weren't going to war."

With that final question, Aro unraveled completely. "This is ludicrous!" he screamed at Marcus. "I should have the power to create any size army I wish!"

Marcus nodded that he'd heard him, turning to Caius. "I'm ready to give judgment, Caius. What say you?"

Caius looked conflicted, but there were too many things at stake for him to deny what Aro had done. They'd changed from merely an immortal government to a dictatorship. What bothered him the most was that he'd been lied to by someone he'd considered family, a brother.

"I agree with the charges," Caius stated quietly.

"I second," Marcus sighed. "Aro, your position has been terminated."

"I propose that Marcus take his place," Demetri offered.

" And I second," Caius muttered, turning away from the group.

It was then that Aro finally lost the last thread of his control. With a brief wave of his hand, he ordered his guard to attack his own brothers.

"Felix, Demetri, protect Marcus!" I said, grabbing at Carlisle.

Alec released the army of newborns, commanding them to attack, lest they be killed. Renata was instantly at Aro's side, protecting him from everything going on around him. Marcus's personal guard surrounded him, Felix, and Demetri, leaving Caius lost in the shuffle.

But it was the searing pain that dropped me to my knees. Fire licked at every inch of my skin, my mind burned like I had over a hundred years ago in Carlisle's home, and my fingers curled into claws, trying anything and everything to dig my way out of the pain. I could hear the sound of immortals fighting, feel the vibration of feet running by, but I couldn't focus on any of it. I also knew I wasn't the only one screaming in agony. Carlisle was right next to me, bearing the same torture that Jane was inflicting upon me.

Only one thing, one sound broke through it all. It sounded like a bomb had gone off. The normal rush of air that usually preceded Bella's shield was nothing compared the rushing wind that blew over me. This was hurricane force winds mixed with sand and leaves and twigs.

The fighting came to a standstill at the same time the pain stopped abruptly. Carlisle and I jumped to our feet but gasped at the wreckage around us. It looked like the aftermath of a hydrogen bomb. Newborns, royal guards, and trees were scattered everywhere – some destroyed, others in pieces and still moving. All the destruction seemed to stem from the same location, where my family was still standing. Alec was no more, his head cleanly removed as if chopped off with a sharp axe. However, Jane was writhing, her torso having been removed from her legs.

"Jane," Aro called from the safety of Renata's shield.

Despite her state, her eyes searched out Carlisle and me again. As I braced myself for the pain, an anguished cry echoed through the clearing.

"Stop!" Bella snarled, her shield clearly holding two immortal women hostage against a boulder.

"Bella," I breathed, stepping toward her, but Carlisle's strong arm stopped me.

"Wait, son," he said, shaking his head. "She's not in control."

Bella's eyes were black, deadly, and a little glazed over as she focused on Aro and only Aro. "I want this done. I want this over. You've been judged. Deal with the consequences, but I swear to God, if you hurt them any more, I will end your mates as revenge."

Bella had done exactly what Felix had told her to do when he'd warned us that the Volturi was coming after us. She's sought out the wives. Caius's mate Athenodora and Aro's mate Sulpicia were fighting uselessly against my girl's shield. They looked wild-eyed and scared.

My girl had done _everything _we'd taught her, and it had started with Alec and Jane. Through most of the thoughts around me, I could see that Bella had completely lost control when she saw what Jane was doing to me and Carlisle. Not only had her shield left her small body in a giant wave of destruction, combined with Benjamin's push of the forest and wind, but her entire being moved so quickly that she'd actually vanished from sight for a split second – something that Alice had seen coming, but we weren't quite sure what to make of it when the vision first appeared. She'd simply disappeared. One second, she was fighting next to Jasper and Benjamin, and the next, she had captured the two wives, pinning them.

"You're finished with this, Aro," Marcus stated, giving Bella a side glance, but he didn't tell her to release the wives. "Surely you can stand down gracefully."

Aro sagged in defeat as he gazed around as his destroyed army, but he flinched at the agonizing cry from his mate.

Marcus turned to me, his talent showing me that Bella's only loyalty at that moment was to me. It was bright and gold and glowing with an intensity that overshadowed every other relationship on that field.

"You might be the only one that can stop her, Edward. Go to her," he said, his voice still sounding bored, but in his mind, he was proud of her extraordinary talent and ingenuity.

I reached Bella in an instant, but her shield wouldn't let me more than a few feet from her. "Bella... Let me in, love..." The shield relaxed slightly, and I was able to step closer, but I still couldn't touch her. "I'm okay, sweetheart. You have to let them go. It's not necessary – a mate for a mate."

Her black eyes met mine, and I flinched at the hatred screaming from her mind. Bella was stunning and ethereal as she breathed heavily, her mahogany hair wild from her fight. She hated them. All of them. Not only had they lied, manipulated, and threatened her family, but most of all, they'd kept me from her. She was angry that they'd used me, blackmailed me, and made me a slave. Having all of them here in front of her brought the reality of that home to her, and she despised them all for it.

"We'll make up for it, Bella. I swear it," I vowed, stepping just a little closer, my mind filled with suggestions, worry, and anger from everyone behind us. "They're not all like Aro, sweet girl. None of them knew what he'd done. Not all of them were privy to his deal with me. You can't take it out on them."

More and more, her shield relaxed, letting me finally step up to her, face to face. "This isn't you," I whispered, gazing into her eyes that were now slowly lightening to her warm, golden color. "This isn't what you are, my beautiful girl. There's been enough destruction today. Don't do this," I told her softly, jerking my chin to the two immortal women that were watching us warily. "If you do this, they'll take you from me. And I can't live without you."

It was the truth and the only thing I feared would work on her. Caius was livid that his mate was being threatened. Aro's mind was reeling with revenge. But Marcus was simply waiting. He didn't want to inflict punishment on Bella if he didn't have to, but the laws concerning mates was strict.

Sulpicia and Athenodora slid slowly to the ground as Bella's shield gradually withdrew. The instant they were free, they were gone as far from us as possible.

"I'm sorry," Bella sobbed, and I caught her before she could sink to the ground.

She was drained and weary – a result of that explosion of her shield, I was willing to bet. I wanted to hold her, get her as far away from this place as possible, but Alice's mind was suddenly louder than everyone else's, and Jasper appeared at my side at the same time Aro screamed his last order.

"Kill her!" he sneered.

Several newborns that had been forgotten in the aftermath attacked. In order to protect her, I pushed Bella behind me. I wasn't sure what she had left in her at this point, but Jasper was ready and willing to fight by my side. There were four of them attacking without any plan, plot, or reason. Jasper took on two as I did the same. Due to their inability to control their new bodies, they were easy on my mind, easy to counter.

Kicking out to my left as I dove for my opponent on my right, I sent one tumbling away. I landed on what looked to be a man in his early twenties, swiftly removing his limbs, but before I removed his head, my angry, black gaze looked to Marcus, who gave me a nod of approval. With his permission, I quickly twisted my hands, dropping the head to the ground unceremoniously.

I could hear the remaining newborn coming, so I ducked when he launched himself at me. He landed like a cat, spun on his heel, and redirected himself toward me. He was fast, but his thoughts betrayed him, allowing me to see exactly what his next move would be. Jumping over him, I landed silently behind him and wrapped my arms around his head. Twisting hard, I pulled his head from his body, which slumped to the ground with a heavy thump.

As I dropped the immortal's lifeless head to the ground, I glanced up to see that the entire family had circled themselves around us. But the newborns that had started to act on Aro's command came to a stop. They looked from the four that Jasper and I had destroyed back to the family, and every mind among them was in agreement not to take the chance that they'd be destroyed, as well.

I glanced over to Jasper, who was shoving his dead opponent off of him. Holding out my hand, I asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, brother." He chuckled, giving the field a quick glance. "It's been a long time since I've fought like this."

I grinned but spun when Bella's mind called to me.

"Edward," Bella gasped, rushing to me, and I wasted no time in scooping her up in my arms.

"Are you all right?" we both asked at the same time as Bella wrapped herself around me. The question stayed unanswered because we chuckled just a little.

"Let's clean this up!" Demetri commanded.

I glanced over Bella's shoulder to see that the Volturi had formed ranks again...only this time, Marcus was taking lead. Aro looked defeated but resigned. Caius looked murderous, but his anger was aimed more toward his brothers than anyone else. Felix and Demetri had taken charge of the guard, guiding the remaining newborns into the cleanup of the field.

Lifeless bodies were piled and lit on fire, thanks to Benjamin. Newborns were piled up with members of the guard that didn't survive – among them, Alec. Jane had reassembled herself, but she stood in the back of the crowd, her mind subdued, her heart mourning for the loss of her brother.

The friends that had come to stand with us, stand against the injustice that Aro had inflicted upon us, started to leave. I could see that the Irish and European covens, Peter, Charlotte, and some of the other nomads had already disappeared. The Denalis, Garrett, and Benjamin were all that remained.

"Huh," I breathed, watching through Marcus's mind as loyalties shifted.

It was an actual physical change from Aro to Marcus. Felix and Demetri had already done so, but Jane, the newborns, and even Caius all pulled their faith from Aro, wrapping it around Marcus. What didn't change was my family. While their minds were satisfied with Marcus taking over, the silver rope that bound us to Carlisle still remained steadfast. The gold surrounding each mated pair was still perfect and unwavering.

"What, baby?" Bella asked, glancing between my face and the direction in which I was staring.

"Marcus's talent is interesting," I murmured softly.

"He sees strengths of relationships, right?" she asked, and I nodded, locking eyes with hers. "And how do we look to him?" A small smile curled the corners of her mouth.

I smiled back, brushing my lips across hers briefly. "We look...beautiful, love."

~oOo~

**BPOV**

"Wow, that's really fucking cool," Emmett gushed, watching as Benjamin manipulated a small tornado in the field.

"I should thank him," I said softly, not bothering to lift my head from Edward's shoulder. His long gentle fingers swept through my hair over and over, his breathing calm and steady. Had I been human, I might've fallen asleep due to the comfort it was bringing me.

We were off to the side, sitting with the rest of the family. The Denalis had left not long before, taking Garrett with them. He'd shown interest in our diet – and interest in Kate, if I wasn't mistaken. The Volturi were getting ready to leave, but cleanup and coming up with a ruse for the humans had taken a few minutes to decide. Someone had suggested a forest fire, but it was Benjamin that had come up with an off-the-radar storm – something he could manipulate easily without damaging the entire forest.

"For what, love?" Edward asked.

"It was his suggestion to add wind and trees to my shield. Somehow, he knew they'd help," I said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Oh, yeah," Emmett chuckled. "That rocked! And just what the hell was that thing you did? You just...poof!"

"No idea," I sighed, sitting up a little and shaking my head. "I don't know what I did."

"Alice saw you do it...days ago." Edward frowned, cupping my face with one hand and tucking my hair behind my ear with the other. "We weren't sure what to make of it. It kind of looked like..."

"You died," Alice finished with a comical grimace. "When someone just disappears in my visions, it usually means that they aren't alive."

"Oh," I muttered, my brow furrowing. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Edward and Carlisle chuckled at the same time.

Lightening struck the ground, causing a little brush fire to start almost in the exact same place that the pile of ashes had been. The battle was now officially covered up. A part of me was extremely grateful for that, for the small twister that was scattering purple smoke and immortal ashes everywhere. It was like watching a teacher erase the blackboard filled with math problems.

Snuggling back into Edward's embrace, I watched the whole battlefield disappear. What would remain would be a charred field and nothing more. Nature would take back over, coming alive again in a few weeks, probably better, more beautiful than it was before.

Edward hummed in agreement to my thoughts but said nothing, only to go back to playing with my hair. Gripping the sleeve of his black t-shirt, memories flashed through my mind. I'd been filled with hate and bitterness, only wanting the fighting to stop. I'd never, ever forget the tortured sounds that Carlisle and Edward had made at the hands of Jane. It had scared me, and even the glorious vision of Edward fighting newborns to protect me hadn't been able to shake that sound from my ironclad immortal memory.

Edward squeezed me closer. "We should go," he said to Carlisle. "Marcus is giving us leave."

Carlisle stood up, brushing himself off, and said, "I'd like to speak with him before he goes."

Taking Esme's hand, he walked away from us. Edward shook his head once, but again, he was quiet.

"What's he doin', Eddie?" Emmett asked, kicking at his brother's foot.

"Don't call me that," Edward growled, glancing up at me when I sat up. "Carlisle is merely telling Marcus out of respect that we'll be changing locations soon. He's letting them know we'll be discussing the move as soon as the family can sit down to talk about it," he told us, his voice soft, smooth, like molten honey.

"I want someplace we can stay," Rose grumbled, and I agreed with her silently.

"We'll need someplace we can hunt," Jasper added, standing up and offering his hand to Alice.

"A place kinda rainy. Damn, I miss Washington," Emmett sighed.

I smiled, but it fell away when Edward set me on my feet. I couldn't bear to be separated from his touch at the moment.

He gathered me to his side, whispering, "I'm not going anywhere, Bella."

"I know. I can't help it." I nodded, wrapping my arms around his waist. I needed the contact with him. The day had been filled with close calls and fear and anger. I needed to hunt and be selfish with him.

"You can have all of those things, love," he chuckled softly in my ear. "But I'm afraid it'll have to wait. Carlisle wants us at home for a family meeting. He wants to start removing ourselves from here as soon as possible."

I groaned but nodded again, burrowing deeper into his chest. Something about that caused my breathing to hitch, because this would be the first time Edward would move with us. I wouldn't be alone, I wouldn't have to separate from my siblings if I didn't want to – or Carlisle and Esme, for that matter – and I wouldn't be an outsider to the world of perfectly-mated couples. We could start over, start fresh, and learn to truly be together without any threats hanging over us.

Edward pulled me back, cupping my face. His smile was warm, sweet, and so loving that it took my breath away. "Yes to all of those things, Bella. Truly."

Our siblings rambled behind us, talking about things they wanted in a new home, but I barely heard them until Edward's amused glare shot over my shoulder to Alice.

"Is that how you see it?" He laughed, glancing up when Carlisle and Esme joined us. "How about now?" he growled, but his mouth quirked up into the really sexy and crooked smile I loved so much.

"You wouldn't dare!" Alice hissed, her mouth hanging open. "No, no! Please, Edward, don't do that!"

"What the hell?" I asked at the same time as Jasper and Emmett.

"Alice," Edward warned, his voice a low, deep growly sort of sound.

She merely grinned, looking around at all of us. "It seems we have to find a place for a wedding, too."

My eyebrows shot up, but my gaze locked on to the man that was currently looking like he wished he could fade away.

"How can someone so tiny be so annoying?" he grumbled, almost pouting. "I haven't even asked yet."

I giggled, forcing him to look at me. "Her visions are...subjective, Edward," I told him, giving him a wink. "Watch." I made the decision to run away with him, elope in some foreign country, and Alice lost it.

"You two are so, so wrong!" she growled, actually stomping her foot. "Edward thought Vegas!"

Edward smirked and then kissed me quickly, muttering something about great minds thinking alike, but Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Apparently, we have a lot to discuss, so why don't we get back to the house?" he suggested, wearing a rather amused smile on his face.

The family took off, leaving us alone in the field.

"Sorry about that," Edward murmured softly, looking truly contrite as his fingers clawed at his hair nervously. "I didn't... I mean..."

"It's okay. Alice can't help herself sometimes. We don't have to do anything we don't want to," I told him.

"Are you kidding, Bella?" He barked a laugh. "The very mention of the word _wedding_ just sent every woman in our family into wild, crazy fantasies."

"I'm sure," I chuckled, shrugging a shoulder. "However, they should know me better than that."

"Believe me, they tried to rein it in," he sighed, but his smile was soft, beautiful, and so very sweet.

"Welcome to the family," I giggled, squealing when he swiftly bent down to toss me over his shoulder. "I knew living with you and Alice would prove interesting!" I laughed, smacking at his perfect ass since I had a stunning view of it as he raced us back home.

A loud smack landed on my own ass, and I squeaked more in surprise than the feel of it. "Turnabout's fair play, love," he chuckled.

"Edward, put me down," I told him, my laugh still ringing through the forest. But the scent of home was getting closer.

He stopped abruptly, setting me down gently. He looked every bit of his seventeen-year-old frozen self – wild hair, sparkling eyes, and expectant smile. He was beautiful, he was mine, and he wasn't going anywhere. And I was pretty certain he was embarrassed with Alice outing his decision.

He shook his head once but didn't say anything as I leaned up to him, pressing my lips to his. I left my mind open to him, remembering our fear-filled conversation in that abandoned barn. Kissing him again, I thought, _I know you haven't asked yet, but the answer is still and will always be __yes – whether__ you ask today, tomorrow, or a hundred years from now._

It was challenging enough that we were so recently mated. Even more challenging was going to be the move and settling in as a member of the family, so I understood all the things we'd confessed in that barn would take time. I wasn't worried about it. At all.

He grinned. "It won't be a hundred years, love. _That_ I can promise you."

"Good." I chuckled, linking our fingers together. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. "Come, Edward. We need to put a vote in, or they'll have us moving to the South Pole so that Emmett can hunt polar bears or some shit."

Edward groaned, rolling his eyes, but he walked by my side through the backyard. "Fantastic...fucking penguins."

When I doubled over in laughter, letting his statement wash the rotten parts of the day away, Edward scooped me up and carried me into the house.

~oOo~

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Esther," Edward greeted. "Isabella's told me so much about you. Please, come in."

"You, too, Edward. I just wanted to stop by before you left," she said, giving Edward an almost comical once-over from head to toe. "You know, see if there was anything you needed."

"Thank you. That's extremely kind," he replied to her, giving his slow, crooked smile.

I'd had to turn away after introducing them and focus on packing at a human pace, but I grinned down at a stack of books in my hand because his warm, silken voice alone was causing the poor woman to have heart palpitations; never mind what his sweet handsome face was doing to her. However, it was interesting to witness his interaction with humans, considering I hadn't seen too much of it lately. Edward's control was perfect, though I was pretty sure he wasn't breathing. I knew he was testing himself again, especially considering the next steps we were about to take.

"If you don't mind, could you let someone in to pick up some things I'm donating?" I asked her, to which she readily agreed. I handed her a list of what was staying and what was going, along with our new forwarding address.

"Are you sure you want to leave all of this furniture, Isabella?" Miss Esther asked, giving my apartment in the city a long, slow glance. "It looks awfully expensive."

Miss Esther was an extremely kind older woman with a sweet smile and graying hair, but she was no nonsense when it came to keeping her building running smoothly. She'd always been kind to me, but I was her quietest tenant...or had been up until the whirlwind that was Edward came falling gracefully into my life. That last thought made him chuckle just low enough that the human in the room couldn't hear him.

"No, ma'am," I sighed, gazing around with her but shaking my head at the same time. "There won't be room where we're going."

Her eyes flashed, and she fought her smile. I could only imagine what she was thinking because from his casual leaning stance against the kitchen counter, Edward's smile graced his beautiful face for just a brief moment as he watched the older woman step around my stack of boxes.

"Besides," I continued, shrugging a shoulder and dropping the stack of books into the box at my feet, "I'm sure you won't let just anyone sublet my apartment. I'm only taking my personal things. Someone may need the rest."

It was true. I owned my apartment, but after talking to Jasper and Carlisle, they'd suggested I keep it, letting my little landlady rent it out for me. Property in New York was a sound investment, according to them. And while the majority of my possessions were already packed up at the Cullen home, Edward and I had come here to clear out any personal items. Carlisle had said it was time to move on, so we were erasing my existence from New York.

I would really miss the city, but unfortunately, I couldn't live here again for many, many years. It saddened me that by the time I came back here, Miss Esther would be long gone. She'd be a mere perfect memory tucked away in my steel-trap mind.

"Oh!" I gasped, turning to her. "And you'll need to replace the shower door. I'll cover the cost, but it's cracked. I...um, slipped."

It took all I had not to meet the smoldering gaze across the room as Edward propped his head on his hand, because he was truly responsible for said shower door the night we'd first mated. I could feel his eyes on me, caressing me just like his fingers. In my peripheral vision, a heavy-lidded, black gaze practically raked over my whole body.

_Not helping, Edward,_ I thought to him, smiling when he turned his back to me. Sometimes, he was completely unaware of what he could do to me with just a simple look.

"As long as you're not hurt, Bella," Miss Esther sighed, completely oblivious to Edward's silent perusal of a box of my things on the counter as he fought a smug smile. "I'll take care of it after you've left."

"No, no. I'm fine," I said with a grin, holding up my hands. "Not a scratch on me."

"Well, that's good," she said firmly, giving me a small smile. "I'll miss having you around here, sweetie. Good luck with the move. And give my regards to that father of yours."

"I will." I smiled and nodded, wanting to hug her but knew it best that I didn't. It was a leftover aspect of my personality from my human days.

A strong arm wrapped around my shoulders, drawing me close as I warred within over something so benign as giving away a hug. It was moments like these that before Edward came along, I would've struggled by myself, but now I didn't have to. Leaning into him, I smiled when heavy kisses dropped to the top of my head as he hummed in agreement to my thoughts.

Miss Esther turned toward the door but suddenly stopped and faced us again. "Oh, I came up here to tell you to just drop off the spare key before you leave. And I have a few spare boxes down in the basement if you need them."

Frowning, I looked around but finally nodded. "Actually, I could use a few more... Thank you." I started to follow her, but Edward intervened.

"I'll go, love," he said, his face now clear of its previous dangerous sexiness. It was open, honest, and filled with expectation as he tried to be helpful. He opened the door, allowing Miss Esther to step out into the hallway ahead of him, but he turned to me. "How many?"

"Three, I think," I told him.

"Three it is," he said with a sweet smile and a wink before closing the door.

With Miss Esther gone, I could get back to packing at my normal speed. I finished off the bookcase and moved into the bedroom. I packed what clothes I wanted, knowing Alice would provide me with whatever I needed, and bagged up the rest to donate.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, giggling once at the sad, pitiful, cracking squeal it made. It had been a perfectly good bed until the night I met Edward, but we'd destroyed it. The ripped mattress was flipped over and covered up with sheets and blankets, and the frame was rigged, but the humans wouldn't notice it until they came to throw it away.

The scent of rain and home wafted around me as I tugged open my nightstand drawer.

"What was she thinking?" I asked with a smile without looking up from just junk and books and pictures.

"That you're beautiful, that you look happier now than she ever remembers seeing you, and that I'd better take care of you," Edward answered smoothly.

When I glanced up, he was leaning sexily in the bedroom doorway with three good-sized boxes at his feet. He was in black jeans and a simple gray t-shirt, his hair in its usual disarray. However, the biggest change was that the boots he loved so much were now replaced with the pair of black Converse that Alice had bought him. It was a subtle change but there nonetheless. And footwear wasn't the only thing he'd slowly started to change. He'd started to throw away his long leather coat that had been hanging on the back of my apartment door – or at least donate it – but I begged him to keep it, if only because I thought he looked dangerous and sexy in it. That admission had earned me a sweet, amused eye roll, but he'd packed it away anyway.

"Oh, and she wanted to know how we met but was afraid to ask you."

"But she asked you?" I chuckled, getting up and walking to him to grab one of the boxes.

He grinned, all smug and crooked. "She did."

"Dare I ask... What did you tell her?" I laughed softly, going back to the bed and the contents of my nightstand.

"The truth," he purred, but this time, the smooth voice was right behind me.

I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "So you told her that you were an immortal bounty hunter of sorts, that you came to New York to hunt me down so that you could turn me over to the royal vampires for revenge and profit?"

He laughed, shaking his head and pulling me close. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he said, "Okay, there's proof right there that the word _truth_ is all about perspective." He kissed me quickly to shut me up, but his hands rubbed my back slowly. "No, I simply told her what I could of the truth...that I saw you on the street, thought you were the most beautiful, most intriguing woman I'd ever laid eyes on, and as my luck would have it, we ended up at the same dance club."

Giggling, I wrapped my arms around his neck at the same time that he cupped my bottom and lifted me up. My legs secured themselves around his waist as wet, teasing kisses met my neck and the soft spot behind my ear.

"I also told her that I had no idea what you see in me," he murmured against my temple.

Nuzzling his jaw, I asked, "Did you tell her that you came back here with me and fucked me senseless on every surface of this apartment?"

His laugh was low, dark, and sensual. "No," he growled, nipping at my earlobe, and I suddenly found my back pressed into the closest bare wall. "I wanted to, but I didn't think her poor heart could take it." He grinned against my cheek when I laughed again. "I did, however, tell her that I'd waited forever for you and that you've made me a better man."

I gasped, pulling back to look at him. His eyes were perfect and golden, framed with long, dark eyelashes and filled with so much emotion that it was practically radiating out of him. I wanted to tease him that he'd given her a romance novel answer, but I could see that he really and truly meant every word he'd just said.

Grasping either side of his handsome face, I kissed him roughly, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you, too, my sweet, beautiful girl," he whispered back. "I'm not perfect, and... I know I'll make mistakes, but I promise you that I will never take for granted this amazing gift that's been handed to me. Ever." With one hand still cupping my bottom, the other took my chin between his finger and thumb. "I mean it, love. I've done things that I'm ashamed of, and I wish I could take them back, but for some reason, all those things brought me to you, and I... I just..."

I cut him off because I knew what he was trying so hard to say. My lips met his hungrily, devouring whatever words he couldn't let out. He didn't have to say them; I felt them in his touch, his kiss, his beautiful, low, wanton moan. Weaving my fingers into his hair, I held him to me. His sweet breath assaulted my senses, his tongue swirled with mine, and his fingers gripped and tugged at my clothes.

Huge changes were happening in our lives, and it was overwhelming for both of us. Edward still hadn't proposed officially, but he also hadn't touched the piano that Esme loved so much. However, it had only been a few days since the Volturi had left us in that field. I still couldn't bear to be without him in the same damn room, but Carlisle assured us that it was normal. We'd all had quite the scare.

We were hoping that our move would bring comfort, a breath of fresh air, and a new start. It would be my third move since I'd been changed but Edward's first with the entire family. There were aspects of our next phase that unnerved him, but he was a willing participant in planning, packing, and moving.

We should've been loading up the truck downstairs because we were to set out to our new location that very night, and we were driving straight to the new house directly from here. But somehow, we'd gotten distracted.

"Tell me you have something else to change into, Bella," Edward growled sexily, his fingers already starting to tear my shirt.

"Yes, yes, just do it," I whimpered, gathering up his gray t-shirt so that I could tug it off over his head.

Ripping and tearing echoed through the bedroom, but Edward made no move to pull me away from that wall except enough to tug away my ruined clothes. He tossed them to the floor, attacking my exposed skin with licks, long, open-mouth kisses, and swirls of his tongue.

"Fuck, no," he purred, gliding his nose up my now bare chest. "I believe we missed..._this surface_."

Grinning, I nipped at his collarbone while my hands slipped over his smooth skin. My fingers caressed lean muscles, hardened nipples, the skin just above the waistband of his low-riding jeans, and the sweet trail of dark hair that disappeared down behind the denim. My thumb toyed with the button, but my eyes locked with needy and dark.

"Yes, please, baby," he rumbled, nodding fervently. "I'll help you finish packing, but right now...I need you."

Leaning in, I brushed a soft kiss to my mark on his shoulder, reveling in the sexy purr that erupted from him. There were times that I liked taking things slow with Edward, but this wasn't one of them. Maybe it was the memories of our first time that were surrounding us, maybe it was the changes that were about to come, or maybe it was just the simple fact that we just couldn't help ourselves.

With a swift tug, I unbuttoned his jeans, shoving them and his underwear down to his knees. He was hard and heavy against my stomach, but before I could reach for him, his own hand stopped me.

"I can smell that you're ready for me...please, Bella," he begged, looking up at me through heavy-lidded eyes as I pressed my forehead to his when he started to lift me.

Slowly, he guided me down over him. The sensation of being complete, of finding my other half, and of pure perfection caused my breath to hitch. My head fell to his shoulder, and I glanced between us, seeing skin and legs and hips all pressed together. It was hard to tell with our immortal flesh where one of us ended and the other began.

Kissing up his neck, I locked gazes with him again, loving the wrecked hair, the black eyes, the kiss-bruised lips, and the open-mouthed heavy breathing that he was doing. "Baby, you feel so good," I confessed, hardly recognizing my own voice, but I was overcome with the feel of him inside of me, surrounding me, caging me against that wall.

Slipping his fingers into my hair at the base of my skull, he gripped hard, letting me know that this would not be gentle, that he needed hard and fast and deep – just like the first time we were in my apartment. Using the wall and his shoulders, I braced myself, crying out his name when he began a deep, thrusting pace. Edward kissed roughly down my neck to his mark on me, sucking my flesh hard into his mouth as he continued to take me against the wall.

I couldn't help the long, low growl I released; nor could I stop my insides from clenching around him. But when his teeth grazed along the scar at the same time his velvet voice purred, "Mine," I completely shattered, totally forgetting the mundane task of packing.

~oOo~

**Several weeks later... **

**EPOV**

I parked the Volvo in an open spot, sitting still for just a second. Bella, Alice, and Jasper stayed quiet for the moment; even their thoughts were minimal. They knew this would be an all-out assault on my mind. I glanced up when Emmett and Rose pulled in next to me.

Alice, without saying a word, showed me small visions concerning the day – things that helped, things that might happen, and then things that I would absolutely hate. Glancing over to Bella, I let out a deep breath. With a nod to myself, I opened the car door, the rest of them following suit. Wincing, I braced against the chaos that ensued at the sight of Bella, our siblings, and myself.

_New kids..._

_Nice car._

_Omigod, he's gorgeous!_

_Holy shit, she's hot!_

_Who are THEY?_

The volume on it turned down in earnest when a small yet firm hand slowly slipped into mine, our fingers linking together. I sighed a bit in relief, glancing down at Bella.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yes. Much," I told her, kissing her temple. "Thank you."

A wave of calm floated over me, and its influence wasn't real...nor was it my own, so I looked over to Jasper.

"You looked like you needed it," he chuckled, giving my shoulder a punch. "Take a moment, brother. We have time."

I nodded, leaning against the car and giving my surroundings a good long look as cars continued to pull in. Squeals of greetings, loud laughter, overlapping chatter, a thousand heartbeats, and of course, silent mental curiosity came at me from every direction. My sense of smell was on high alert – colognes, perfumes, makeup, menstrual cycles, blushes, skin, new books, old books. But the only scent I tried to focus on was the calming smell of fruit and flowers standing next to me.

Not letting go of Bella's hand, my thumb rubbed nervously across her knuckles over and over. Her head lay gently on my upper arm, just her silent way of offering me as much solace as she could.

White Mountains Regional High School. Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. Two hundred and ten rainy days out of the year.

It was that last factoid that had decided the new location for all of us. Apparently, it was tied with the amount of annual rainy days as Forks, Washington. And there was an opening at the local hospital for Carlisle. It had all seemed to fall into place for us. It was a chance to stay somewhere for a few years, a chance to start over. A chance to be...normal.

Giving my thirst one last check and finding it manageable, I pushed away from the car, setting the alarm on it. It was a necessity, a new car. We needed to fit in with high school kids, and my Vanquish and Bella's Audi weren't going to do it. Emmett's Jeep fit in just fine, but we needed more than one car, considering how many of us there were. Plus, we were in different grades. Jasper, Rose, and Emmett were all starting as juniors. Bella, Alice, and I were sophomores. It gave as at least three years in one location, barring there weren't any accidents or suspicions.

I flinched again once we reached the hallways. The rest of them tried to tell me that the worst day was the first day, but by next week, we'd be old news. This time, there were hushed whispers added into the mix.

"I heard they're all adopted."

"I heard they're all together. Like _together_, together..."

Rosalie caught the eye of just about every boy in the hallway. Minds fluctuated between fear of Emmett, Jasper, and myself and awe over the girls' beauty. Lust and fear – Jasper was being hit with it from every direction – not to mention, deception, mischief, and giddiness that teens seemed to radiate on a constant basis anyway.

"You know," I whispered in Bella's ear, "the last time I went to school...boys and girls weren't allowed in the same classroom. The separated us at my school."

"No shit!" Jasper laughed. "When I went, girls weren't allowed at all. They were taught at home."

That seemed to lighten the feelings around us. I knew they were nervous for me, but they'd all done their best to prepare me. Carlisle had pulled strings so that Bella was in all of my classes, along with the occasional class with Alice. My brothers told me to brace myself for how our fellow classmates would see Bella because our possessive nature would spike. Jealousy was a new emotion for me, and it seemed I didn't handle it well.

Once we were in the middle of the damn school, Emmett turned to all of us with a giant grin. Of all of us, I think he liked the school environment the most. It appealed to his fun-loving nature, his love of sports, and his inability to stop himself from cracking crude jokes.

"See you guys at lunch," he sang, taking Rose's hand and walking away.

I groaned because that was something I was not looking forward to. At all. Lunch. A giant room filled with overly-curious kids and the smell of human food, and we had to pretend to eat it.

Stopping by my locker, Bella and I unloaded school supplies. Her locker was several down from mine and would most likely go unused for the rest of the year. We wanted to share. It just made things easier. It also made some sort of relationship statement, I was told.

"Hey," she said, leaning against the locker door. "You okay?"

I grinned, shook my head, and sighed. "Bella, I'm a hundred and thirteen, and I'm standing in the middle of a high school hallway. We're about to head to U.S. History...most of which I've lived through."

She giggled and stood up on her toes. "I love you," she whispered before kissing me sweetly.

"Love you, too," I chuckled against her lips.

And that right there made it all worth it – that sweet smile, her beautiful giggle, and the three words I never got tired of hearing from her. I'd do just about anything to keep all of that coming my way. Even go back to school. And it wasn't even about school for her – for any of us, really. It was about just _being_. It was having something normal to cling to, about letting go of our true nature and focusing on our human side, and it was about playing a role so that Carlisle could do what it was that he was born to do. The whole family sacrificed so that we could stay together, be the family that we felt we were, and try our damnedest to overcome what we were. So we played foster children in order to keep up a pretense.

"Not to mention," I continued teasing her, "the fact that I can hear every single thought around us. Girls jealous of you, Rose, and Alice. Boys angry that we seem to be getting too much attention. And I, apparently, have a nice ass."

Bella snorted into a loud laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. "Well, duh!" she sang, taking my hand. "I coulda told you that!"

"Yeah?" I asked, raising up my eyebrows at the same time I kissed the back of her hand. "Wanna know what they think of _your_ ass, sweet girl? Because I have to agree..."

"No, Edward. I don't." There was amusement there but also a finality to her answer. "Come on, old man. History time. Maybe you can tutor me over what's _not_ in the textbook."

The benefit of our unwavering memories was that we didn't need the map of the school or our schedules. One look, one walk around campus, and we were set. It was a permanent fixture in our minds. Bella led me to our first class, her hand finally letting go of mine in order to take the seat next to me.

I handed Bella her bag, taking my seat slowly. I had to focus on not moving too quickly, not letting the boys stares and thoughts aimed at my girl from the other side of the room get to me, and not allowing the scent of blood to make me lose it. It would take some getting used to, but I was pretty sure I could do this. If I could survive sixty years of servitude, seeing death and destruction everywhere, then I could most certainly survive six hours a day being surrounded by human teenagers.

Students straggled in, but I ignored them, giving my Bella a long, slow gaze. She was beautiful, dressed in jeans and a tight-as-hell shirt, most likely for my benefit rather than the hormonal teen boys around her. Her long, thick hair was swept up into a long ponytail that hung down the middle of her back, and it was all I could do not to wrap it around my hand just to kiss the sweet skin of her neck. I lingered on the bare finger of her left hand, thinking it was almost the right time to make her mine in the final step, but things had been way too hectic with the Volturi, moving, and getting ready for school.

Bella's thoughts were pleasant, overshadowing the insignificant ones around me. She flitted through several different trains of thought – our schedule for the day, her trepidation for lunch, and the way I'd thoroughly ravished her in the shower of our en-suite bathroom on the third floor at home before we got dressed for the day. And then there was the slight tinge of worry riding just below the surface of all of that. She worried that this was too much for me too soon, that my change in diet and my mind reading would become overwhelming in this environment, and that I was merely going along to placate everyone else.

"Bella, no," I whispered, shaking my head when her sweet golden eyes met mine from across the aisle. "I promise you... I'm fine," I vowed, shaking my head again.

She smiled sweetly, mouthing, "I love you." Reaching over to brush my hair from my forehead, she said, "Can't help it, baby. I'll always worry."

The teacher, Miss Watts, took her place at the front of the classroom once the final bell rang, pulling out her notebook to call the roll. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. As far as changes went, my life couldn't get any different. I'd once been alone for a very long time; now, I was not only surrounded by family, but I had the love of the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid eyes on in my long, long life. She'd accepted me even when I wasn't there. She was more than I could've ever hoped for. Bella. My love. My reason for existing. My mate. My fate. And soon...my wife.

With that last thought, I shed the last of my old self, finally embracing who I now was.

Miss Watts called out names, and she paused on mine. "A new student... Edward Cullen?"

I smiled at Bella, shooting a wink her way, because it meant so much to her that I'd accepted Carlisle's name, but really, it meant everything – a fresh start, a new life, and a standard to live up to. Edward Anthony Masen would always be a part of me, but I wasn't that man any longer, and for that, I was extremely grateful.

Looking up to the front of the class, I fell into the role that was made for me. It was who I truly _wanted _to be.

Raising my hand, I said, "I'm Edward Cullen."

**~oOo~**

**A/N... The moment I decided to continue this o/s, I saw it coming full circle. I saw it ending a certain way...at the moment we all fell in love with Edward in the first place. School. I saw him become a steadfast member of the Cullen family, I saw him have the same self-control when it came to his diet, and I saw this final scene play out. I saw him shed what he'd been for so long and accept the happiness and changes that were being handed to him. **

**He's not done. I have a few loose ends to clear up, obviously. I'm sure there are a few canon things you're wanting to see. ;)**

**I need to thank a few people. JenRar for always keeping my canon vamps straight and my grammar flawless. To GooberLou for pre-reading and letting me bounce ideas off of her left and right. And to inkedupmom for pre-reading. She's my "YOU CAN DO IT!" cheerleader. LOL And last, but not least, a huge thank you to MedusaInNY for maintaining my blog. Without her, it would sit in cobwebs. :) Thank you, ladies.**

**And now I need to thank all of you that reviewed, rec'd, and read FI. It's one of my smaller fics, but I thank you for coming on the ride with me. I can't thank you enough.**

**The epilogue is coming, but I'm not sure when. It won't be long though, I promise. Until then, mooches, Deb. :)**


	10. Chapter 10: Epilogue

**A/N... Here it is, the last chapter of Fate Interrupted. This fic came with a few stumbles along the way. There was one point where I was afraid I'd have to put it on hiatus, but luckily, I was able to push through. **

**There were a few canon points I wanted to touch on – a different approach to some of the same things we are used to seeing concerning Twilight – and I hope I got them right. According to JenRar, this needs a TISSUE WARNING. I may have agreed with her, but I tend to shed a tear or two when I complete a fic. But I thought I'd pass on the warning anyway.**

**~oOo~**

Chapter 10: Epilogue

**EPOV**

"So wait!" Bella gushed, falling down on the bed on her stomach in front of me. "You believe that whole 'Grassy Knoll' thing from JFK's assassination? That it wasn't just Oswald?"

I grinned because she was absolutely adorable when she wanted to know something. I shrugged, saying simply, "I just never bought the 'magic bullet' scenario. I wanted to travel to D.C. the day after. You know, to hear Lyndon Johnson's thoughts at the White House, but Aro sent me to China for some shit."

"Damn!" Bella groaned, rolling over so that her head was in my lap. My fingers immediately sank into her hair as she mused, "How cool would it be to know?"

"It's not like I could tell anyone," I chuckled, "nor would they have believed me."

"Yeah, but still...just to _know_..." Her voice trailed off as she fiddled with the buttons of my shirt.

My sweet girl just couldn't hear enough history. Or really, _my_ history and where I was when certain things happened – 9/11, JFK, MLK Jr., Pearl Harbor. She also couldn't hear enough about the monsters I'd sought out throughout my life – serial killers, abusers of women and children, cult leaders. The latter had led to a long explanation about Waco, Texas, and David Koresh.

The Branch Davidians just happened to go all to hell when I was down in the south investigating Maria for what seemed like the hundredth time. I'd heard mental rumblings of missing women and children, of family members who had lost contact, and of a man that thought he was a god. It would've been a sweet, sweet kill had I been able to get into the compound. I had no doubt that I would've succeeded, but the ATF attacked that very next day, and the aftermath had been devastating. Koresh had taken all his faithful followers with him. The evil bastard.

What had first started out as conversations that made me uncomfortable slowly became cathartic – a confession, of sorts. Revealing the dark corners of my past – the stalk, the hunt, the kill of evil humans – began to make me feel lighter, like I was no longer carrying the heaviest of loads. Bella's opinion meant everything to me, so when she didn't look at me like I was this hideous creature but merely moved on to the next and the next and the next, then I started to see a different aspect of it all. It was just...me. It was just what I'd done to survive. And Bella never batted an eye; she'd just kiss me, run her fingers through my hair, and smile the sweetest, most heartbreaking smile, only to ask another question.

I glanced around the room we'd been sharing for the last few months. It was decorated in calm blues, soothing greens, and natural woods. Esme had taken everything that she knew about Bella and me and meshed it into one single large room. Books, music, movies, and pictures lined the really big bookcase, surrounding a rather expensive stereo. The TV wasn't very big, at least in comparison to the one downstairs, but it was there when we just wanted to escape into something together. Light from a bright moon trickled in from the large windows, highlighting Bella's favorite place to read – the window seat. But the view outside was really beautiful. The peaks of the mountains could be seen barely peeking above the trees that encroached the backyard. In the daytime, the leaves were already starting to lose their green and drift into reds, oranges, and yellows. October was bringing the cooler weather of fall quickly.

My eyes fell to our school books tossed to the side. We were supposed to be studying, not that we really needed it, but we still needed to at least read the text for the test tomorrow, and we had a few papers due. How we'd gotten off Roosevelt and onto the assassination of JFK was a mystery, but it happened more times than not.

School was tedious, monotonous, and annoying, but walking around in town, shopping, going to movies, and doing things in the daytime that I hadn't done in decades was rewarding. It had taken some getting used to, a few skipped classes, but I was adjusting to this way of life. I found that I liked it, but I liked it because I wasn't going through it alone.

As if she could read my mind, small fingers pulled on my neck so that I was gazing down into warm, golden eyes. She was biting at her bottom lip as she smiled up at me, though I had no idea what she was thinking.

"What about Area 51?" she asked conspiratorially with a giggle.

Laughing, I tossed her to the head of the bed, bracing myself over her. "Enough, sweet girl," I chuckled, holding her down with my weight, not that she was really fighting me. "I don't know a single thing about aliens."

Bella squealed into laughter, writhing under my tickling fingers. Fuck, I lived for that sound. The look of pure happiness as her nose wrinkled, her head fell back to the pillows, and her fingers fought me was just everything to me. It radiated out of our room and into the rest of the house. Chuckles from the rest of the family met my ears, along with thoughts of just pure joy. They fed off of it, reveled in it. To me, it sounded like music, like a symphony perfected. It was trilling notes, grand crescendos, and dramatic pauses.

Grasping her wrists, I pinned them above her head with one hand while the other cupped her face. As I gazed down at her, a melody swirled around in my mind, making me nuzzle her nose with my own, up one side and down the other, as her laughter settled down. Her strong legs wrapped around my hips, holding me close and firm against her. Suddenly, I was rendered incoherent.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered, my brow furrowing at the honest truth of it...and at the fleeting notes that were running through my mind. I tried frantically to keep ahold of them, but they were gone just as quickly as they came. "We have homework, Bella," I chuckled, grazing my lips across hers.

"'Kay," she sighed, but she made no movement to get up or stop kissing me. In fact, the electricity between us kicked up, especially when she felt me grow hard against her stomach at the pull between us. "Edward..." Her voice was desperate, pleading.

"I know, love," I groaned, dropping my forehead to hers. "I feel it, too."

It was absolutely impossible to fight, that feeling of wanting to consume each other. It was a tidal wave of emotion, want, and need. It was like a giant magnet was slamming us together. The feeling made everything else around us insignificant, fading into the mundane background. And it happened all the time – school, the mall, the middle of the movie theater, even the hunt. _Especially_ the hunt. More than once had we lost ourselves in an alleyway, a public restroom, a darkened forest, or even an abandoned teachers' lounge. We were powerless against it. It would be unnerving if it wasn't so fucking good and honest and pure.

"Edward, baby," she whimpered, capturing my lips in a searing kiss, only to pull away needlessly breathless. "Don't stop... Please?"

I shook my head, giving in completely because to back away from her now, despite who was in the house, what papers needed to be written, or just how close dawn was approaching, would physically tear me in two. It would wreck me to stop touching, kissing, grinding. I needed her more than air, more than blood.

I couldn't find it in me to be apologetic to the rest of the house when fingers ripped and tore at clothes, when skin finally met skin, and when the sigh of perfect contentment ghosted across my face when I sank as deeply as I could into my mate.

~oOo~

"You can't go to school, Edward," Alice stated, her eyes glazed over, but her vision stopped me short. "Not today...or tomorrow... In fact, you might as well stay out for the Thanksgiving holidays starting now."

I watched in awe as my own face turned from a blending-in student to a black-eyed predator. My prey seemed to be the substitute teacher at the front of the Social Studies classroom – a small, wisp of a man, wearing a sweater vest and glasses. But it was the oscillating fan at the doorway that caught my attention.

"He'll wreck you," Alice said, her eyes clear again. "His scent is too strong."

"Even with my shield?" Bella asked, linking our fingers together as we stood in the living room.

"I've tried every scenario, but eventually, Edward smells him. It's just too strong. And I'm not sure the sub is a decent fellow, so you'll just have to avoid school until next week when Mrs. Bryant returns," she explained, shrugging a shoulder.

"Hmm, better safe than sorry, son," Carlisle said from the staircase. He was leaning in his office doorway. "Don't take the chance. You and Bella can stay home. I'll call the school to excuse you both. And since you'll be home, I'd like to spend some time with you today."

"Okay," I agreed, looking back to Bella, who shrugged. "Guess we're not going." I grinned at the scoffs and groans from our siblings as they made their way out to the garage.

"Excellent. Bella can help me decorate," Esme gushed, beaming like she'd been handed the best of gifts.

"Apparently, Esme has volunteered our house for some Thanksgiving charity thing for the kids at the hospital," I muttered, grinning and ducking Esme's ruffle to my hair.

"The proceeds will bring Christmas to the long-term care patients," she finished with a huff, but she was proud that she was able to help in some way. "Bella, we'll need to hit a few stores first. And I'm thinking of using the real leaves from our own yard..."

I chuckled at Bella's shocked expression, but her mind was willing to give in to anything Esme asked for, so with quick kisses, they left Carlisle and me alone in the house.

Sitting down in the chair across from his desk, I looked up at him expectantly because he was blocking his thoughts from me. Instead, he was naming every bone in the human body in order from head to toe...in Latin.

"I hope you don't mind my stepping in, son," he started, leaning back in his desk chair. "It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to what Alice was predicting."

"No, it's fine," I said, shrugging a shoulder. "I trust you both."

"It's not the most ideal conditions, I know, but I wanted to know if school was going okay for you."

His thoughts were still blocked from me, and I respected that because everyone in the house had learned quickly that nothing around me was private. No matter how hard I tried to leave them to their own thoughts, I wasn't always successful, and Bella couldn't shield me every moment of the day. Pranks, surprises for mates, sexual fantasies, and even patient information all came to me. Whereas Alice saw decisions for a few of those things, I saw _everything_ – whether I wanted to or not. The only one in the house that could avoid me was Bella, but she rarely did – a thought that made me smile.

"It's..." I paused, trying to figure out the best way to put it. "It works for what we want," I finally stated. "It helps with my control, especially knowing I'm not alone. It's harmless, really, but I do all right. If things get touchy, then Bella's shield helps, though just having her near me calms the minds in my head."

Carlisle nodded because he knew these things. "Are you comfortable, happy to be back with us, Edward?"

I frowned at the question. "Yes, of course." I opened my mouth to say something, only to snap it closed, but I blurted it out anyway. "I'm not leaving again, Carlisle. I could never. I would've come back..."

He stopped me, holding up a hand. "I know. I just want to make sure, son. That's all. This is quite the transition for you."

"It wouldn't be had I not made mistakes," I sighed, folding my arms across my chest. "This would've been my life all along."

"Maybe." He chuckled, and his thoughts crept through for just a moment, showing me a few flashes of the past decade or so. "You know what they say: hindsight is twenty-twenty. Perhaps things would've been the same, or they might've been completely different."

"The Butterfly Effect?" I snickered but nodded at his soft laugh. "Yeah, maybe."

"What about Bella?" he asked, and my gazed snapped to his.

"What about her?"

"Have you talked to her about what happened on that battle field?" he asked, his face filled with concern.

"She hasn't been able to do it again," I told him, shaking my head a little. "She's gained more control over her shield, but that... She's convinced that disappearing thing was a one-time occurrence. No matter how much I've pushed her, or Jasper's pushed her, she hasn't been able to recreate it." I sighed, looking up at him. "My theory is that her fear of something happening to the two of us was too much for her to contain. You and I mean too much to her."

I smiled at the warm expression that came over his face, not to mention his thoughts that turned to meeting her for the first time. I couldn't help but chuckle at him.

He laughed, shrugging a shoulder, and said, "She loves so effortlessly. I worried about that part of her personality coming through her change, but it did – stronger, I believe."

"She does. It's beautiful, really," I sighed, rolling my eyes when he laughed at me.

"Did Alice ruin your proposal?" he asked, switching gears slightly.

"No," I said through a barking laugh. "Well, yeah, but not really. I mean, we'd already discussed it, Bella and me, but it wasn't...official. Maybe that's why Alice thought she could blurt it out."

"Are you still planning to ask her?" he asked, and I nodded in answer. "When?"

"Soon. Why?" My brow wrinkled at this line of questioning because he was already back to guarding his thoughts.

"Because I have something for you," he said softly, opening the middle drawer of his desk. He pulled out a small, black silk bag and set it in front of me at the edge of the desk. "I had to send for this. Some of your things I was able to hold on to, but others, I had safely stored. This was one of them."

Reaching up, I took the bag, giving him one last glance. He was nervous, I could tell, because he sat forward, tenting his fingers in front of his face. I opened the bag, tipping it over onto my hand. My breath caught as diamonds – familiar diamonds – gleamed in the lights from over head. My hand shook as I took in my mother's ring that I hadn't set eyes on in over a hundred years because I hadn't been able to stomach looking at it. It had been too much of my past to see with new eyes back then.

Swallowing a lump that had formed in my throat, I simply asked, "How?"

"When you left, you didn't take much with you," he started to explain. "You'd asked me to watch over it, so after a few moves, I worried it would get lost in the shuffle – or worst-case scenario, get left behind in an emergency. Esme placed it in a safety deposit box in Chicago, along with some items that she wanted to hold onto. When we moved here, I made arrangements for those things to be sent to me."

I rubbed a thumb across the band, remembering it on my mother's finger. It would be considered antique by today's standards but still very beautiful and very intricate. I imagined it on Bella's hand, and my breath caught at just how perfect it would be.

"I know you wanted it back then, Edward, but you couldn't look at it. I thought maybe you'd want to at least have the option of passing it on." His voice was soft, compassionate.

Something deep inside of me unwound, unraveling like tight cords had been around my chest, and it made my breath hitch. "Thank you," I whispered, blinking up at him. "You didn't have to..."

"You're my son, Edward...in all but blood. I would've done it even if you hadn't asked me," he said firmly yet softly. "It's important that you remember where you came from."

I nodded, unable to speak for a moment, so I busied myself with one last gaze and touch of the ring, only to store it back in its bag.

"You didn't want this life," he sighed, looking forlorn as his eyes focused on the top of his desk, "but I couldn't _not_ do what Elizabeth asked of me."

"I want it _now_, Carlisle," I all but yelled, wincing at my rudeness. "Had you not changed me...there would be no Bella..." God, it was really that fucking simple. I saw it all now. "She was worth all of it. I'll never be able to thank you for having faith...when I didn't."

He smiled, and we stood up at the same time. I tucked the little silken bag into my jeans pocket at the same time he squeezed my shoulder.

Waiting until I finally looked back at him, he said, "You never have to thank me, Edward. I changed you because I wanted to. I changed Bella because my entire family would've fallen apart without her. Seeing you two together is thank you enough. Understand?"

His eyes were fierce, his voice almost harsh, and I knew he meant every word. He was telling me that he never wanted to hear it. He didn't want thanks; he merely wanted us to flourish. He wanted his family complete, whole, and surrounding him every day because it was the one thing he regretted out of his immortality – the ability to have children.

"Yes, Father," I whispered with a nod.

He smiled, squeezed my shoulder one more time, and sighed, rolling his eyes. "Okay, so why don't you help me gather up some leaves for Esme's wreaths. Help me out, will you?"

Grinning, I nodded, smacking his chest with the back of my hand. "Yeah, yeah...I saw in her mind what she wanted. Let's go."

He sagged in relief as we walked down stairs. "Thank God, because I wasn't sure what the hell she was going on about." Just before we stepped out the back door, he stopped me. "Oh! And when you do ask Bella...come see me. I know the perfect place for the honeymoon."

Chuckling, I rubbed the outside of my jeans pocket just to make sure the ring was still there. "Yes, sir."

~oOo~

**BPOV**

"I really fucking hate gym," I growled low, falling into my chair at the lunch table. "Hate. It."

"Right. The uniforms are ugly, and the locker room stinks," Alice agreed, but stopped when I rolled my eyes her way. "What?"

"Hilary Dean again?" Rose asked, smirking from across the table and playing with a candy cane. They were everywhere since it was the first day back from Thanksgiving break.

"Yes," I hissed. "Is there some sort of high school requirement to enroll sexually-promiscuous, extremely spoiled, narcissistic, rich bitches with friends just as shallow and mean as their Alpha leader?"

Emmett snorted into a laugh, his head falling back. Jasper's gaze traveled slowly across the lunch room, but his lazy, crooked smile was never going to be hidden.

"You spent way too much time with Jake in Forks before your change." Rose chuckled, shaking her head. "But it does seem that there is one at every school," she mused.

"I'd just really, really like to kick the soccer ball straight at her face...on a rainy day...with mud...maybe worms...with my real strength," I grumped, folding my arms across my chest as my siblings cracked up again. "She's so fucking mean to everyone that isn't sitting at that table," I pointed out. "Oh, and here...there's this, too."

The doors opened to the lunch room, and in walked Edward. He'd stopped off at our locker to trade out books for the next class, telling me to go on ahead. Hilary and her friends all went silent and ogled him as he walked by, despite how he rolled his eyes at them, ignoring them completely as he made his way to our table.

Faces scowled when a sweet kiss was dropped to my forehead before he sat down. It was no secret that most of the girls sitting at the table had crushes on Edward, Emmett, and Jasper – like they were a fucking boy band or some shit.

"Who'd she pick on today, love?" he asked with a sigh but a rather amused smile on his face.

"Poor little Janie Cooper," I murmured, pointing to the girl that was sitting with a few friends, though she was looking rather distraught. "Something about her sneakers and her hair cut. I don't fucking get it. She accused her of liking girls."

"There's a Lauren Mallory at every school, isn't there?" Alice asked with a giggle, laughing harder when I flipped her off.

"Bella," Edward chided with a chuckle, taking my bird-flipping hand into his and linking our fingers together. "Who's Lauren Mallory?"

"When Bella first moved to Forks," Rose started, chuckling when I scoffed, "Lauren hated her. Every boy in school was drooling over the new girl, and Lauren and her friend Jessica were jealous of the attention. They gave her hell the first few weeks."

I tsked, rolling my eyes, but leaned into another kiss from Edward to my head. It was true, though. Until Alice and I became friends, Lauren had made it her life's mission to make me miserable. Lauren hated me even more once all of the Cullens befriended me, but she was too chicken to act on it after that.

"My poor, sweet girl," he crooned in my ear. "Want to know what Hilary really thinks?"

My eyes narrowed on him, and I switched to thoughts. _If you spout how many sexual positions she's imagined you in, Edward Cullen, you're in a heap of trouble._

He huffed a laughed but shook his head. "There is that, but no...that wasn't what I was going to say."

"Are there real thoughts inside that head of hers?" I asked, smirking when our siblings chuckled. "I mean, besides the fact that she wants a Porsche for Christmas?"

Edward pretended to think about it and shrugged. "Sort of? I mean, she's like a clear, shallow puddle on the street. You can see straight down to the dirty and ugly." He grinned when my eyebrows shot up. "She's extremely jealous of this table. The whole table. She used to be a part of the envied group – she was wanted – but now, everyone around her talks about us, how...umm, exclusive we seem to be. We've...how do I put it? Stolen her thunder. And it doesn't help that we intimidate her to the point of silence. That's never happened to her before." He shook his head at the whispers that still made it to our ears, and I could only imagine what the thoughts consisted of. "So with everyone we're nice to, she has to point out their...shortcomings." He paused for a moment, his nose wrinkling. "Oh, and Janie does like girls. She has a crush on Rose," he stated out of the blue, gesturing to our sister.

"Oh, damn," I muttered but glanced over at Jasper and Emmett, who were practically howling with laughter.

"Dude, where the fuck have you been?" Emmett guffawed, shaking his head. "You totally make this shit worth coming to school."

"Exactly," Jasper chuckled. "It's far more entertaining."

Edward waved them off, rolling his eyes. "I have to listen occasionally. I have to make sure they only see the facade we're giving them."

Alice nodded like she understood, which she probably did. What used to lay on her shoulders alone now rested on the both of them. It seemed easier, though I couldn't imagine the things they saw in the minds of teens, not to mention a few teachers.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. As we fought the crowd leaving the lunchroom, I sighed contentedly, thinking Emmett was right; this experience was far better with Edward with us. He fit in perfectly, but he had become my sounding board, my secret keeper, and my best friend, right along with being the love of my existence. The family split up as we made it to the courtyard, but Edward wrapped a loving arm around me, bending to my ear.

"Love you, sweet girl," he whispered. "Skip the last class with me," he all but commanded, shooting me a sexy wink when I spun my gaze up to his.

Giggling, I asked, "Love you, too. Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here," he stated, still wearing that smug, crooked grin.

I stood up on my toes, kissed his lips, and nodded. "Yeah."

Something was different with Edward. I'd noticed in the last few days that he was more relaxed, not as easily rattled at school, by our siblings, or even with his own struggling diet. Well, _he_ thought he was struggling; the rest of us were in awe that he maintained as well as he did. I supposed it went back to what Rose had said – that once he focused on something, he was pretty damn determined to perfect it.

"Good," he murmured against my mouth, his arm tightening around my waist. "I want you all to myself," he admitted.

Once the last class signaled, we found ourselves in the car just driving. Edward stated that he promised the others that we'd be back at the end of the school day, but he only wanted out for a while. Despite the dreary day, we ended up at a local park just outside of the preserve, making out on a bench. It was deep, soulful kisses and heavy, gripping hands, but nothing more than that. And I loved every second of it because with that came declarations of unending love, purrs of happiness, and rumbling sexy compliments of how beautiful he thought I was.

By the time we pulled back into the school, I'd forgotten just how cranky I'd been at stupid school girls. My skin was still tingling from his touch all over, my lips still tasted of him, and I was pretty sure that if I were still human, my neck would have been covered in hickeys. But I felt calmer, loved, and distracted.

Edward chuckled, picking up my hand and kissing the inside of my wrist. "Good, then my job here is done."

Grinning over at him, I was pretty damn sure that I fell in love with him all over again.

Two days later, we found ourselves trapped at home on a sunny day. The family was restless but otherwise keeping to their own rooms. Even poor Carlisle was stuck home because Alice said he couldn't risk being seen getting from his car to the hospital. The sun was too bright bouncing off the newly-fallen snow.

Esme and I were in the living room with the Christmas tree the boys had just cut that morning while out destroying each other in a snowball fight, and a sound I'd never heard came wafting in from the back of the house. It was Edward's piano.

Esme gasped, locking eyes with me, her hand over her mouth. I could see that if she could shed tears, they'd have been coursing down her cheeks. It seemed the two of us were afraid to breathe in order not to dispel the magic of the moment. What started as tentative scales and nervous notes eventually billowed out into the most stunning melodies and chords I'd ever heard.

"I have to see that," I said, but my voice barely made a sound. We both glanced up when Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett quietly peeked over the railing from upstairs. It was Alice my eyes fell to because she was wearing the sweetest, most-secretive smile I'd ever seen.

"We're going hunting," she stated softly. "All of us," she reiterated, giving Esme a pointed look.

They filed out the front door quietly with Carlisle not far behind them, but Esme gripped my hand, tugging me toward the source of the music. A classical song that I couldn't have named blended into a song that didn't sound familiar at all, but Esme recognized it. Her intake of breath, her trembling chin, and her shaky hand in mine told me that Edward was playing just for her.

Leaning in the doorway of the library, I wasn't sure I'd ever seen anything so damned beautiful. I'd seen Edward dressed up, completely unclothed, and seen him fight enemies like an avenging angel, but never was his face that stunning. Every bit of his hundred years faded away from the hard edge of his eyes and the tension in his shoulders – something that had slowly started to ebb away but could still be seen occasionally. It left him relaxed, appearing so very young and sweet...and quite vulnerable, if I were to be honest. His hair stuck up in a million different directions, telling me that he'd stressed the hell out before he sat down to play. He was in dark jeans, a black t-shirt, but his bare feet pressed the pedals underneath the piano.

Edward tensed when the last note of the song echoed through the room because Esme rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him. She spoke quickly and quietly to him, most likely using her thoughts to communicate to him more than anything, and he only nodded. The only words I caught were, "Thank you," and "I love you."

She silently said one more thing to him, dropping a kiss to the top of his messy head, and he murmured, "Yes, of course," as a slow, tentative smile crept up his face.

As Esme passed me to leave, she giggled, shooting me a wink. "If you can get him to do it, he plays Christmas carols beautifully," she teased, casting a glance over her shoulder before walking out the front door.

He huffed a small laugh but merely shook his head. What I'd noticed was that he hadn't met my eyes yet, but I'd also shielded my thoughts from him. It seemed we were both nervous, but why, I wasn't quite sure. For me, I knew what his playing meant. He'd finally found his niche, his place, his comfort level, and that meant the world to me.

"You made her very happy, Edward," I said softly, not moving from my spot at the door.

He smiled, nodding, finally meeting my gaze, and the blazing warmth in their amber depths was breathtaking. "It's been too long," he sighed, again nodding a little. "It's been calling to me, but I just wasn't... I don't know..."

"Ready?" I provided, tilting my head at him.

His silence was my answer, but his long fingers slid over the keys, not pressing, not making a sound. It was like they were remembering how to touch, the feel of ivory, and the positions they were supposed to be in. I'd always thought his hands were pretty, but I could see now that they were made for the instrument in front of him.

"When I left home," he started almost in a whisper, "I avoided music for a little while. I was too...wrapped up in my own ego. But around the end of the thirties, there was a really popular song that came out of a movie. It was everywhere. I couldn't avoid it if I tried. It was the first time in a long time I thought about crawling back to Carlisle and Esme, just simply to play it – not for her, but for myself. The words, the music, and the emotions from the _original_ singer were so poignant for me."

My curiosity got the better of me, and I blurted out, "What was it?"

He grinned, and it was so pretty and full of patience, patting the space next to him on the bench. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, love. Sit with me?"

I moved instantly, plopping down next to him. He pressed a kiss to the side of my head, inhaling my hair deeply before turning back to the piano. The flourish, the chords with which he started was unrecognizable to me until he started the actual song. My mouth fell open when "Over the Rainbow" met my ears. He was right; I did know it. I knew it because I'd watched the movie over and over. It was one of my favorites. My eyes burned every time with how much emotion Judy Garland put into the song, but there was more coming from Edward, and I finally understood what he'd been holding back.

He'd never wanted this life, but he'd accepted his fate, and he'd searched the world over for something that he'd never thought he'd have. Edward, at some point, had given up, but underlying the tough exterior that he'd had to manifest, there had always been a speck of hope. And it all came through his playing with a feeling of such longing. What was amazing to me was that he hadn't sat down to the piano in over eighty years, but every note was flawless, perfect.

The muscles of his forearms rippled as he played, his eyes were closed, and long, beautiful eyelashes rested against his cheeks. And for the first time since he'd come into my life, I didn't see the intriguing immortal from the picture on Carlisle's desk. I saw the man – the handsome, yet imperfect man – that had made mistakes, owned them, and stolen my heart the very second we first touched on that rooftop in New York.

And my heart just about exploded with the love I felt for him.

Letting out a shuddering breath, I gazed down at my lap when the song was over. I had no words. None. Instead, I let my mind show him how it made me feel – a little heartbroken for him, fighting to kiss him senseless, and a touch overwhelmed.

A gentle hand caressed the side of my face, tilting my face up to his. With just a brush of his lips across mine, he said, "I have one more I want to play for you." He waited until I nodded before he turned his attention back to the piano.

~oOo~

**EPOV**

"Okay," she whispered, looking needlessly nervous.

If anyone should've been nervous, it was me. Attempting to play a song I'd only created in my mind after not touching my piano in decades made me feel anxious. Not to mention the decision I'd finally come to. It was why Alice had corralled the entire family out the door, I was damned certain. She'd seen my decision, though she'd hidden the outcome from me.

Placing my fingers back on the keys, I played the notes that had swirled into my mind when we'd been in our room. I'd thought hope was lost when they faded, but they'd slowly come back stronger, louder, more defined. They came swirling into my head with every one of Bella's smiles, every laugh, every snarky remark aimed at our siblings, and every loving hug she gave to our parents. But mostly, the melody solidified when she touched me, kissed me, told me she loved me, and held me close.

Whereas "Over the Rainbow" spoke of wishes and dreams of a life that I never thought I'd have, Bella's song was the counter to that. It was every dream come true. It was freedom, love, happiness, and the completion of my soul. It sang of my change – my real change – of how I went from Edward Masen, killer and member of the Volturi guard, to Edward Cullen, son of Carlisle, a member of a real family, and mate to the most amazing and beautiful woman I'd ever had the honor of meeting.

The song started awkward, just like Bella and I had – two immortal seventeen-year-olds that felt everything all at once. It moved into something sensual, almost erotic, with a touch of struggle in the middle, only to end light, happy, free. I wasn't sure it was finished because there was a future left to be seen – a very, very long future. And I honestly couldn't wait for it. I couldn't decide whether to add to it or just simply write a new one for every major moment. But that was the beautiful part... I had all the time in the world to decide.

When the song was over, I gazed down at Bella only to slip from the bench to kneel in front of her.

"That was us, wasn't it?" she asked softly, almost in a whisper as her fingers traced my eyebrows, nose, and jaw.

Turning my head a little, I kissed her fingers as my hands rubbed her thighs lightly over her jeans. "Yes."

"It doesn't sound finished," she pointed out, smiling down at me.

"It's not." I chuckled softly at just how close she'd come to reading _my _mind. "There's a lot more left to add..." I reached into my pocket, pulling out the little black silk bag that Carlisle had given me weeks ago. "And I want to start with this."

Holding Bella's hand from underneath, I tipped the ring out into her palm. Her quick intake of breath caused my eyes to lock on hers, but she was smiling, nipping at that bottom lip.

"Marry me, Bella," I whispered, wrapping her fingers around the ring and bringing her hand to my lips. "I want to tie myself to you in every way possible – mortal, immortal, forever."

I wanted to beg her, but I didn't have to. Her mouth was silent, yet her mind was screaming yes. It made me smile so wide that I thought my face would crack with the power of it.

"Out loud, sweet girl. Say it."

"Yes, yes, yes," she laughed, leaning in to kiss my lips roughly. "The answer was always yes, Edward."

Cupping her face, I kissed her, still barely containing my smile, but I finally pulled back in order to open up her hand. "This was my mother's," I said softly, slipping it onto her finger. "Carlisle saved it for me."

"Oh, God, it's really beautiful, baby," she gushed, her voice barely audible. Bella's thoughts vanished, but her face wore a mischievous smile. "One condition, Edward. I'll marry you on one condition."

My eyebrows rose up, and I froze, trying my damnedest to read her mind, but she'd shielded it from me. "What's that?"

"Never, ever stop playing again," she ordered, pointing to my piano.

I barked a laugh, my relief almost palpable. Scooping her up off the bench, I cradled her in my arms to carry her up the stairs because I couldn't stop from wanting her, and I damn well was going to take advantage of an empty house. I needed her more than ever. She was my dream come true, my gift from God, and my second chance at what should've been.

Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers. "If you want, my Bella, I'll play for you every day. Forever."

~oOo~

_Sixty years later..._

Two heavy heartbeats. I heard them in tandem just up ahead. I'd been searching for a specific scent since we'd been in the Pacific Northwest, and I'd finally found it. Mountain lions. At least two, if I was hearing correctly.

"Race you!" Bella giggled softly, taking off into the wet, green forest.

Grinning, I shook my head only to tear off after her. It wasn't like I couldn't catch her. I was still faster than she was, but watching her run was even better than the thrill of winning any race against her. We found the large cats just inside a clearing, and Bella tackled one while I stalked the other. We'd startled them, but they hardly had time to react. The smooth, sweet warmth flooded my throat. It had been so very long since we'd fed on the lions we loved so much. At one point, their population had dwindled so we couldn't feed on them, but in the last twenty years, the west coast had bloomed with almost an overabundance.

We'd hunted black panthers in South America, tigers in Siberia, cheetahs in Africa, and even grizzlies in Alaska, but nothing beat the mountain lion. We always seemed to come back to those. However, this was the first time we'd be staying...and the first time we were near her old home.

Carlisle wanted the safety of the weather that Forks provided and had figured we'd allowed enough time to pass since Bella had lived here, so the plan to move from a small town just outside of Toronto had been formed. At first, my sweet wife was nervous, but eventually, it had turned into excitement. She couldn't wait to show me everything. Considering I hadn't seen the area in about a hundred and fifty years, I was really looking forward to it, as well. The weather alone offered us a tremendous amount of freedom in the daytime, not to mention the Cullen house was probably Esme's best work. We were safe there because even the wolves had died out, though our presence would probably bring about a few changes.

Watching Bella carefully hide her kill, I leaned against a tree. After sixty years of marriage, my mate still took my breath away most days. The summer after I'd proposed, we'd gotten married in a small wedding with only our family in attendance. Carlisle had performed the ceremony, and my beautiful girl had looked stunning in a simple white dress with small flowers woven into her hair. We hadn't wanted anything big, just something that we could say was ours and ours alone. And it had been perfect.

The honeymoon, however, was just as perfect. Carlisle had offered us the use of Isle Esme – an entire island all to ourselves just off the coast of Brazil. Without the eyes of humans or family around us, we'd hardly ever dressed. In the day, we'd swum and hunted and played. At night, we'd wrapped around each other with a tenacity that I could barely comprehend, much less explain. We'd stayed there for two months before we were needed back for our junior year of high school back in New Hampshire.

Officially, Bella became Isabella Marie Masen-Cullen, though she usually just used Cullen unless we were in a school setting, and then she used Swan. What the humans knew didn't matter to us; it was what we knew that was important. And we'd were about to test that theory again soon because we were all starting over at Forks High after several years of doing different things.

We'd all graduated high school several times, but I'd followed in Carlisle's footsteps and attended medical school. As rewarding as that sometimes was, I found I needed a change after only a few years. What was a calling for Carlisle ended up merely being a test of control for myself. We'd all separated throughout the years off and on – though, never really very far – to live as adult couples, but our time ran out at the last place. People had started to wonder about our youth. They'd wondered about the doctor that always seemed so young and about newlywed couples that hadn't started families. After five years in Canada, it had been time to move on.

Bella walked to me, wrapping her arms around my neck, breaking me out of my memories.

"What do you want, sweet girl?" I chuckled because by now, I knew every little idiosyncrasy about her – every nuance, every smile, every gesture, even without reading her mind. And her snuggling up to me meant she wanted something. "Tell me," I said, my hands unable not to pull her closer by her waist, only to slip down to her bottom.

"I want to show you," she whispered, brushing her lips across mine with barely a touch.

"Lead the way, love."

I remembered the area from when I'd first been there, but everything had changed so much since the early twenties. Even Bella said things were different. Forks was a little bigger, though still small in comparison to the surrounding larger cities, like Port Angeles, Olympia, and Seattle.

She led me through the forest, coming out just inside a small working class neighborhood. She sighed, her eyes far away as she took in a two-story house just on the other side of a group of trees. It was comfortable, white with green trim and a tree that scaled up to the second floor, and I knew from her memories that it was her old house – the house she called home up until Carlisle changed her.

Her mind was open to me, and I smiled at the fuzzy picture of a man that shared her same eyes, a man with a thick mustache and a police uniform. Charlie. It was a man that looked at his daughter with a love that was almost breathtaking.

"My house," she sighed, and I linked my fingers with hers. "My room was on the second floor," she stated, pointing up to the window.

She was quiet for a moment, even though her mind was reliving a few happy memories. I let her have the silence. We both thrived on it. And she'd done the same for me when we had taken a trip to Chicago several years after we were married. I'd wanted to not only show her, but I'd wanted to see my old home.

"Come," she finally said, tugging my hand.

She showed me the hardware store where she'd worked, though it was now a convenience store. We took a long way around, but we caught a glimpse of the school we were about to attend – the same school that she'd attended over seventy years prior. I was thinking we were about to head back home when she stopped in front of me.

"I want to show you one more place."

"Whatever you want, love," I conceded, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "but why are you now closed to me?" I'd felt her shield fall over her thoughts and the little gush of air that had pushed softly out at me.

She wrinkled her nose adorably and shook her head. "I'll explain when we get there."

Using the endless woods, we tracked back around the house and out several miles from the highway. The sun peeked out from behind some low clouds, revealing a clearing up ahead, and Bella stopped in order to walk at a human pace out of the line of trees surrounding us.

To say it was pretty would've been an understatement. The little area was enclosed by trees, wild purple and yellow flowers grew in large random patches, and tall grasses swayed in the breeze. The place was so very...Bella.

"God, it looks exactly the same," she whispered, her brow furrowing, and still, her mind was closed to me. She stepped slowly away from me, gazing around the same way I was, the sun glinting off our skin. "I used to come here right after my change," she started, reaching down to pick a bright yellow flower. "It was the only place Jasper would let me go alone."

"Because you were a newborn," I surmised.

"Yeah," she said, huffing a soft laugh. "Alice would look to make sure my coming here was fine. Jasper would guide me about halfway, and then I'd stay out here for hours. It was my escape from the world of mates, bloodlust, and grief over Charlie. I'd read, mostly, but really, I'd daydream."

I smiled, reaching for her hand. "About...?" I urged, though I thought I could guess the answer.

"You," she giggled. "It was all so new."

I found a soft spot in the grass and sat down, pulling her to my lap. "That newborn time can be really overwhelming," I agreed with her, caressing her beautiful face with the backs of my fingers.

"That, and I just tried over and over to make sense of waiting for you." She sighed, though a small smile graced her features. "I think I covered every scenario of how we'd meet," she giggled, shaking her head.

"Oh, you have to tell me," I laughed, cupping her face and kissing her lips. "Please?"

She looked away, embarrassed. "Oh, let's see... There was the one where you just wandered up in here while hunting. Um, then there was the perfect...you just came home daydream. And I think my favorite was meeting on the street... You know, where you didn't know who I was, but you fell in love with me anyway."

"That's kinda how it happened, my sweet, beautiful girl," I told her, grinning at her soft laughter.

"I know!" she giggled, shaking her head. "I love that."

"Me, too," I sighed, kissing her again, only I couldn't stop myself for a few minutes. She was happy and sweet and wrapped around me, smelling like flowers and sunshine and our hunt. I slowed the kiss down, just wanting to savor our time together, pulling back to gaze at warm, honey eyes. "Thank you," I whispered simply.

She hummed a response, scanning the meadow again. "This was the one place I could be myself," she murmured. "I could feel whatever I was feeling without bothering Jasper. I could rage, cry, or just sit in silence. I could leave the rest of them in peace – at least for a little while. And I've wanted to bring you here for so long..."

"Now that you've got me here, what do you plan to do with me?" I asked, unable to keep my lips from her soft skin.

Her giggle was a mixture of surprise and complete naughtiness, and I fucking loved that sound.

"I thought about that, too, you know," she purred, cupping my face and grinning at me. Her tongue dragged slowly and sensually across her bottom lip.

I chuckled darkly. "Do tell, my sexy girl..."

Finding myself flat on my back with a beautiful brunette looming over me, I welcomed her fiery kisses, her grinding hips, and her fingers weaving into my hair. My girl wasn't going to tell me; she was going to show me – both mentally and physically.

While her fantasies prior to meeting me were mostly generic, what she really wanted was to be taken by her mate, her husband in what she considered to be her secret meadow. I was only too happy to oblige because I didn't think I could ever get enough of her – learning about her, reveling in everything she said or did, or learning new ways to bring her pleasure, not to mention the old ones.

I remembered that when I first started hunting Bella for the Volturi, my opinion on hearing the same mind for the rest of eternity sounded like a chore, something to dread, but I found that to be far from the truth. Each thought, each loving mental caress, and each strong opinion was something to cherish. And I had...every second of it.

Clothes were tossed to the wayside, soft laughs turned into moans for more, and finally, my body pressed hers into the tall, soft grasses underneath us. I saw in her mind that what used to be a place to escape for solace for her was now going to be our escape from the family, school, sunny days, and small-town life.

I also saw that this was the place that Bella had come from. It would've been the place where our paths should've crossed had fate not taken a different path, and for that, I was almost overwhelmed with my love for her. It was strange to think of what might have been. Our paths now were forever woven. As I placed a long, slow kiss to my mark on her, I thanked God, Fate, or even just Bella herself for my life now because I was eternally grateful, no matter how we'd gotten to here, our forever.

**~oOo~**

**A/N... I'm always so stupidly emotional at the end of a fic. It takes me forever to write it, just as long to edit it, and then I hesitate to post it. **shrugs** It's like empty nest syndrome or something. LOL **

**I really just wanted to bring some things completely home – the meadow, Elizabeth's ring, school, Forks, even Edward going to med school. However, in order to do the meadow...the real Forks meadow...I had to skip ahead many, many years. I hadn't thought of doing any outtakes for this, but if there's something you'd like to see, let me know. **

**Oh...and if you're really curious... hunt down the Judy Garland version of "Over the Rainbow." The movie version. The words and the emotion will tell you why it hit Edward so very hard. It speaks of wishes of another life, of something unfathomable. I sobbed when I downloaded it, because it fit him so damn well.**

**I need to thank JenRar for this one, because she was a huge cheerleader when it came to Fateward. Although, I'm not so sure she's become biased at this point in our relationship. LOL Love you with a sickness, Jen. I also need to thank GooberLou and inkedupmom for pre-reading this. They're complete opposites in their opinions. Always. I love that. :) Love you both. And last, but not least...MedusaInNY for all the work she's done for me over the years on more than just my blog. Mwah!**

**Mostly, though, I need to thank you guys. The readers. This wasn't a popular fic, but I noticed who came along for the ride. I saw names that have been with me for a very long time. And I can't thank you enough. Since the completion of this and _Coming Home_, I know some of you are wondering what's next. Right now...nothing. Have I got an outline I'm working on? Yes. Will I say what it is? No. ;) Just give me some down time. I'll be back for sure. **

**Okay, leave Fateward some love for the last time. Until next time... Mooches, Deb. :)**


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